This recipe calls for a rectangular tart tin, but you can use a 23cm-diameter round one instead.
Cherry and almond tart
Australian Gourmet Traveller Christmas dessert recipe for cherry and almond tart.
- 45 mins preparation
- 30 mins cooking plus chilling, resting, cooling
- Serves 6
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Ingredients
- 500 gm crème fraîche
- 100 ml pouring cream
- 20 gm pure icing sugar, sieved, plus extra for dusting
- To serve: fresh cherries
Cherry-vanilla jam
- 300 gm cherries, pitted
- 220 gm caster sugar (1 cup)
- Juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
Almond pastry
- 90 gm natural almonds
- 250 gm softened butter
- 110 gm caster sugar (½ cup)
- 300 gm plain flour (2 cups)
Method
Main
- 1For cherry-vanilla jam, combine ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches setting point (6-8 minutes; see note), refrigerate until well chilled (1-2 hours).
- 2Meanwhile, for almond pastry, process almonds in a food processor to form coarse crumbs (1 minute). Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes), scrape down sides of bowl, add flour and almonds, beat to just combine. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.
- 3Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and line a 20cm x 28cm rectangular fluted tart tin, trim edges and refrigerate until firm (30 minutes). Blind bake until light golden (10-12 minutes), remove paper and weights, bake until golden and crisp (6-8 minutes), cool completely.
- 4Whisk crème fraîche, cream and icing sugar in a bowl until firm peaks form (2-3 minutes), refrigerate until required.
- 5Spread jam in base of pastry case, spoon over crème fraîche mixture, top with fresh cherries, dust with icing sugar and serve.
Notes
Note To test for a jam's setting point, place several saucers in the freezer before you start cooking the jam. When the mixture becomes thick, remove from heat, spoon a little onto a chilled saucer and return to freezer for 30 seconds. When you draw your finger through the mixture it should hold a trail. If it doesn't, cook for 1-2 minutes longer and test again.
Drink Suggestion: Botrytis riesling. Drink suggestion by Max Allen