Cherry & Amaretto Tart
July arrives and with it a sense of anticipation. The all too brief asparagus season may have been and gone, but summer's soft fruits are now at their best. Intensely sweet strawberries and raspberries are on offer at the farm shop and we eat them by the punnet load, simply enjoyed with fresh cream. The anticipation is not for them, however delicious they may be, it is for the arrival of the first local cherries. I make my way over to Aragon Farm in Sissinghurst, renowned local cherry orchard and I'm not disappointed, the counter is overflowing with trays of huge, sweet, dark red cherries. I should ask what the variety is but I'm too busy thinking about eating them. I buy a kilo plus a small punnet for the way home, for its unlikely I'll be able to resist them.
Aside from craving the odd pie made with canned cherries in the winter, I don't buy fresh cherries out of season. I can't bear the expensive, bland and tasteless disappointment. So I make the most of their short season, eating them just as they are and putting them in cakes, ice cream, pies and this tart. The South Downs Sussex village of Ripe created this tart to celebrate the cherry harvest, so it is often called Ripe Tart. I have adapted it slightly with the addition of amaretto as cherries and the almond flavoured liquor are a heavenly match. You could omit the amaretto if you prefer and just use almond essence. I serve the tart with thick cream, occasionally whipped with the some more amaretto and sweetened with icing sugar, but it would be equally as good with ice cream.
If the cherry season wasn't enough reason for me to celebrate, I will soon in the South of France and can't wait to relax and enjoy the sun, great wine and wonderful food. Its unlikely that I will post again until I return, but will be updating Cygnet Kitchen on Instagram ,if you would like to follow my food adventures. If you are off on your own holidays, safe and happy travels.
Cherry & Amaretto Tart
Prep time:
1 hour 15 mins
Cook time:
1 hour 10 mins
Total time:
2 hours 25 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Pastry
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g cornflour
2 teaspoons of icing sugar
pinch of salt
100g cold butter, diced
1 large egg yolk (preferably organic or free range)
Filling
75g ground almonds
100g icing sugar, sifted
2 large eggs (preferably organic or free range), beaten
Half a teaspoon of almond essence
450g cherries, stoned
1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur (optional)
Instructions
Heat the oven and a baking sheet to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6
Sift the flour into a bowl ( or food processor) with the pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of icing sugar.
Lightly rub the cold butter into the flour (or pulse in food processor) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tablespoons of cold water and stir with a knife to bind together (or pulse in food processor just until the pastry comes together)
Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to bring it together.
Shape into a flat round and wrap in baking parchment or cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry between two sheets of lightly floured baking parchment or on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line a 23cm tart tin or dish (the pastry will be 2-3mm thick) and chill for a further 15 minutes.
Place a round of parchment paper in the tart tin and fill with baking beans or rice.
Put the tin on the pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the beans or rice and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Reduce the oven temperature to 170C/fan 150/ gas 3.
Using a spoon, mix together the 100g of icing sugar, 2 beaten eggs, ground almonds, along extract and amaretto liqueur if using in a bowl, until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the tart case and top evenly with cherries, pushing them into the mixture.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until top is golden brown and firm to touch.
Serve warm or cold with fresh cream flavoured with extra amaretto liqueur and icing sugar to taste or vanilla ice cream.