Cherry Cream Tart
After apple pie, cherry pie is probably as American as it gets. But I did a little digging and found that not only is the “honest” George Washington cherry tree story a myth, cherries aren’t even native to America. Read more about their history below.
However they got here, cherries are the perfect fruit for summer. They’re hand-held, don’t require cutting or peeling, and you can take them to the beach, socially-distanced picnics, on road trips, and to see fireworks at the local park or from the comfort of your couch. Growing up, my dad used to buy the big bags they sell during summertime at the farmers markets and we’d eat them throughout the scorching summer months in the Valley. I came across one of these big bags recently and decided to make a cherry tart with a buttery short almond crust and cream filling. I’m not sure if it’s the English or colonized Indian in me but I think everything tastes better with cream or custard. This tart uses a crème angalise filling which is a little complicated to make but worth the time and effort. Make sure you reserve some cream for serving because trust me, you’ll want extra!
Cherry Cream Tart
Makes: 10 servings
Calories: About 200
Time: 1.5 hours
INGREDIENTS
Almond Short Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg beaten (for brushing)
Filling
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. corn starch
1 cup milk
METHOD
Step 1
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk flour, almond meal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture keeping pea-sized pieces of butter intact. Add ice water and collect into a dough just until everything binds together. Don't over knead. Form into a disc, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, pit all the cherries using a cherry pitter. Toss with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.
Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt, and corn starch until thick and fluffy. Separately, in a medium sauce pan, heat the milk on medium low until it comes to a gentle boil. Slowly pour the milk in a small stream into the egg yolk mixture bowl while whisking constantly until all of the milk is in the bowl. If you do this step too fast, the eggs will curdle so go slow and steady. Put the mixture back in the saucepan and heat on medium low whisking constantly until the mixture starts to just thicken then take off heat immediately and allow to cool.
Step 4
Take the almond short crust out of the fridge, place between two sheets of parchment paper, and gently roll into a circle with 1/4 inch thickness and about 10 or 11” diameter. Gently transfer onto a 9 or 10” tart pan and gently press the overhang into the sides of the tart pan to form double thick sides. Chill for 15 minutes, brush the sides with egg wash, then bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Take out of oven then turn the heat down to 350 degrees F.
Step 5
Add the cream filling to the tart shell reserving about 1/4 cup to use for serving. Add the cherries and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. Serve with reserved cream and powdered sugar.
Cherries, the All American Fruit
Perhaps no other fruit more than apples is synonymous with America than cherries. There’s the “honest” George Washington cherry tree myth which was a made up story by one of his early biographers. Michigan, the largest producer of cherries in the US, has a National Cherry Festival to celebrate the harvest season in early July which coincides with Independence Day. A cherry queen is crowned every year at the festival since 1925. Not a single one has been brown, Black or African American, by the way. Almost every school that I attended had cherry pie in their cafeteria. What could be more American than that? Well, cherries aren’t a native fruit to the Americas at all. Cherries migrated to America with the European colonists in the 1600s. But cherry history is much older than this as cherry pits have been found in several Stone Age caves in Europe and they had been cultivated in Greece for hundreds of years. Turkey is currently the largest cherry producing region in the world including both sweet and sour cherry varieties. Sour cherries are used in Persian cuisine in dishes like Albaloo Polo, sour cherries and saffron rice. Some of the health benefits of cherries are that they reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and help the body fight gout and arthritis.
