Wednesday 7 January 2015

Cherry and Almond Tart












There are days when I'd prefer to be in the pool than in the kitchen making my own puff pastry. Today was one of those days. Baking a tart on a scorching hot summers day is not that crazy. Making my own puff pastry on such a day, now that's crazy.




Cherry and Almond Tart
adapted from here

1 1/2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
3/4 cup ground almonds
55g unsalted butter, softened
5 tablespoons golden caster sugar, plus 1 tablespoon extra for sprinkling
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
300g pitted cherries, halved

Line the Pan:
Join the sheets of pastry together to make a rectangle big enough to line the base and sides of a loose-bottomed 35 cm x 13 cm rectangular pan. Press the join together with the tines of a fork so that it is well sealed. Press the pastry into the pan, trim any excess pastry off and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Make the Filling:
Put the almonds, butter, 5 tablespoons of the sugar, egg and almond extract into a food processor and blitz until it is a smooth paste.

Spoon the filling into the chilled tart base and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Slip a baking sheet into the oven to heat.

Scatter the cherries over the top of the chilled tart, then pop it onto the heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and place it back on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling it cooked. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.


15 comments:

  1. What a pretty tart! Love the cherry + almond combination, one of my favorites :)

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    1. Thanks June. Cherry and almond are a classic combo.

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  2. We're crazy but there's limits you know! And when it's really hot, that's one of those limits :) I'm sure this tart was really good with all those almonds and cherries flavours!

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    1. Yes, you're right. There are limits. I'm glad I know mine... some times.

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  3. Making your own pastry in the Aussie summer heat is crazy! But when the results are delicious, it is a worthwhile craziness :) I just know that everyone in my house is going to love this, and it gives me an excuse to try that rough puff pastry challenge :)

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    1. Oh yes, do it Amy. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm sure your family will love this one.

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  4. Oh my word, that looks delicious!

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  5. I have made puff pastry in the past, I just choose not to now. ;-) And when I can buy top quality, locally made puff pastry why would I bother? We've just had a dreadful week of weather here - there has been NO baking done in my kitchen, although this gorgeous tart would tempt a saint.

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    1. Quality store bought puff is a life saver on days like these and you can't really make puff pastry in the heat unless the air con is on minus 5 degrees either. The fires in your area must have been scary. So glad you guys are safe.

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  6. Jennifer, this looks and sounds exquisite! And I love that spatula... can't quite make out the brand... where did you find it? : )

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    1. Thanks Liz. It's an Anna Gare spatula. Cute isn't it? But you wouldn't expect anything less from Anna. :)

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  7. This cherry & almond tart looks divine! I love how simple it is to make especially.. this is a must make recipe for me.

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  8. This looks amazing. I only have a 10" round tart pan, would the baking time differ?

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    1. You should be fine with the 10" round pan. It shouldn't effect the baking time too much. The main thing is to make sure the pastry it baked on the bottom. If it's still a little soft at the end of the baking time, just bake a little longer.

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