This was my first attempt to make a tart from scratch. The sweet almond taste of the frangipan and the sourness of the morello cherry all nestled in a delicious sweet crust pastry is a combination which will keep you coming back.
This recipe does involve multiple steps but comes together quickly and is so worth it. I used a 22.5 cm tart pan and had leftover pastry (throw it in the freezer and your pastry part is done for next time of if you have extra tart pans blind bake the pastry and freeze the tart shell to make next time even quicker)
WHAT YOU NEED:
For the sweet crust pastry:
330 grams plain flour
100 grams confectioner’s sugar
Grated zest of ½ lemon
pinch of salt
180 grams of butter at room temp plus extra for greasing the tart pan
1 egg yolk from 1 large egg
2 tablespoons cold water
For the Almond frangipan:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup ground almonds
4 teaspoons cornflour
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
Morello cherries - I used a quater of a 680g jar of destoned morello cherries but you can use fresh and the quantity is up to you)
WHAT YOU DO:
For the sweet crust pastry:
1. In a large bowl sift the flour, salt and sugar.
2. Add the zest of one clean lemon.
3. Combine the egg yolk and water and add to bowl.
4. Break up the butter and rub into the flour mix and keep rubbing it in till it all comes together and knead till smooth.
5. Chill in fridge for 30 mins and turn your oven on to aprox 150 celcius.
6. Brush tart pan with butter and roll out the pastry to aprox 3mm thick and use the rolling pin to roll up the pastry and place on tart pan. Tuck in and cut off extras and blind bake (using a weight) for aprox 25 to 30 mins or until entire tart is lightly golden (dont cook it too golden as it does have to go back in the oven once filled)
7. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.
For the Almond frangipan.
1. Mix the sugar and butter till light (either by hand or with electric whisk)
2. Add the almond meal and combine.
3. Add the corn flour and mix followed by the egg yolk and egg.
4. Combine thouroughly.
To assemble the tart:
1. Preheat oven to 180 celcius.
2. In the cooled pastry tart pan pour the frangipane and spread till smooth.
3. Arrange cherries in the frangipan.
4. Bake in oven till a skewer comes out clean and the top is lovely and golden. (Aprox 30 mins)
