Cherry Tart

Still no photo posting on Blogger -- RATS! I have some great pics of the chickens free-ranging in the yard. Yes, since they escaped from Antonio, there has been no holding them back -- they are ready to roam, and roam they are -- this morning, 4 of them were IN the compost bins.

More on the chicks when I can post some pics. In the meantime, here's what we'll be eating soon -- A Rustic Cherry Tart. This recipe make a gorgeous and delicious summer dessert. I found the original recipe in a Martha Stewart Living magazine, but have modified it a bit over the years. I prefer it with my favorite butter pie crust recipe, but below is as close to the original as I can recall. We're having it tomorrow.

Rustic Cherry-Almond Tart
Makes 1 9-inch tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (17 1/4 oz.) thawed
5 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 c plus 4 t sugar
1/2 c blanched almond flour (I usually make my own unblanched in the food processor)
1 large whole egg
1/2 t pure almond extract
1 large egg yolk
1 T heavy cream
1 lb red cherries, stemmed and pitted

Heat oven to 425°. On lightly floured parchment paper, roll out puff pastry to 1/8” thick. Cut a 12 inch circle; roll the edges to form a 10” crust. Transfer the parchment paper and crust to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the softened butter, 1/3 c sugar, almond flour, whole egg, and almond extract until well combined.

In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolk and heavy cream. Prick the chilled crust all over with a fork. Brush the cream/yolk mixture on the surface and edges of the crust. Spread the almond mixture evenly over the crust, and chill for another 15 minutes.

Spread the cherries over the tart. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar over the tart. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust edges are a deep golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I’ve made this tart several times. It works equally well using a traditional pie crust. I’ve also used peaches, peaches and raspberries, and blueberries. It never fails to impress.

ps. A cherry pitter is a nifty tool that will save you boatloads of time -- it works great for olives, too. Mine came from Williams Sonoma and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat -- I wish I could say that for some of the other gadgets cluttering my drawers.