To prepare a delicious cherry tart, we can opt for either a homemade tart dough or a store-bought dough to ease the process. If we choose to make the dough from scratch, we will need flour, cold butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and cold water. We start by combining the dry ingredients and diced butter, mixing them with our fingers until we achieve a texture similar to breadcrumbs. Then, we add the egg and water, quickly kneading until a homogeneous dough forms. We wrap it in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
As for the cherries, they should be from a can to ensure the right consistency for the tarts. We take the cherries out of the can and place them in a strainer, allowing them to drain well. Then, we put them in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the excess liquid has evaporated. Once the cherries are ready, we take the pot off the heat and add the grated lemon zest for extra flavor, as well as the cornstarch, mixing well to even out the composition. The sugar is added gradually, to taste, and then put back on the heat, stirring constantly to ensure that the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture thickens, a process that takes about two minutes.
While the cherry filling cools, we preheat the oven and work on the dough. We roll out the dough in a baking tray, which we have pricked with a fork in several places to prevent it from puffing up. We bake the dough until it turns golden, allowing it to cool afterward. Once both the dough and the cherry filling have cooled, we place the cherries in the baked tray. We drop butter in a few places over the filling, then create a lattice with the dough on top, sprinkling unrefined sugar for a sweet taste and a crunchy crust.
The tart is placed back in the oven at a medium temperature, and baked until the lattice turns golden. If we notice that the edges of the tart are browning too much compared to the rest, we cover those areas with aluminum foil. Once baked, the tart is served at room temperature, delicious both on its own and accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drop of almond extract. Alternatively, we can gently heat a slice and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, turning the dessert into an absolute treat. This cherry tart will surely be an excellent choice for any occasion!
As for the cherries, they should be from a can to ensure the right consistency for the tarts. We take the cherries out of the can and place them in a strainer, allowing them to drain well. Then, we put them in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the excess liquid has evaporated. Once the cherries are ready, we take the pot off the heat and add the grated lemon zest for extra flavor, as well as the cornstarch, mixing well to even out the composition. The sugar is added gradually, to taste, and then put back on the heat, stirring constantly to ensure that the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture thickens, a process that takes about two minutes.
While the cherry filling cools, we preheat the oven and work on the dough. We roll out the dough in a baking tray, which we have pricked with a fork in several places to prevent it from puffing up. We bake the dough until it turns golden, allowing it to cool afterward. Once both the dough and the cherry filling have cooled, we place the cherries in the baked tray. We drop butter in a few places over the filling, then create a lattice with the dough on top, sprinkling unrefined sugar for a sweet taste and a crunchy crust.
The tart is placed back in the oven at a medium temperature, and baked until the lattice turns golden. If we notice that the edges of the tart are browning too much compared to the rest, we cover those areas with aluminum foil. Once baked, the tart is served at room temperature, delicious both on its own and accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drop of almond extract. Alternatively, we can gently heat a slice and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, turning the dessert into an absolute treat. This cherry tart will surely be an excellent choice for any occasion!
Ingredients
2 prepared pie crusts (you can make the tart dough you prefer) 1 and a half jars of cherry compote (420 g/jar) sugar to taste (the cherries in the compote already have sugar, so be careful) 4-6 tablespoons of cornstarch (depends on how many cherries you add) grated zest of one lemon 2-3 drops of almond essence (optional) butter the size of a walnut 1 tablespoon of unrefined sugar for decoration