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A simple tart recipe that combines seasonal fresh cherries with kirsch-flavored almond cream and a crunchy tart crust.

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Recipe Video
Ingredients
Instructions
Storage
Equipment
Cherry Tart Recipe

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tart Crust

Unsalted butter - Use high-quality cultured butter for enhanced flavor whenever possible.
Powdered sugar - Use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for a more crunchy texture.
Egg yolk + water - combine egg yolk and water to 25g or add 1 teaspoon of water for each egg yolk. Or simply use half an egg (25g).
Cake flour
Salt

Almond Cream

Unsalted butter - Please use cultured butter, which has a rich flavor, if possible.
Powdered sugar - Powdered sugar is easier to dissolve into the cream and makes it fluffier. Granulated sugar can be substituted.
Cornstarch - Can be made without cornstarch, but even a small amount will make the almond cream more cohesive and less likely to separate.
Almond Powder - Almond flour tends to oxidize and lose its flavor once the package is opened. It is more cost-effective to buy a larger package, but consider the amount you regularly use.
Eggs - Beat eggs and add a little at a time.
Kirsch - Kirsch is a cherry brandy, which pairs perfectly with this cherry tart. While some almond cream recipes exclude liqueur, adding kirsch significantly enhances the cherry flavor. If you don't have cherry brandy, you can substitute it with rum or other liqueurs.

Topping

Cherries - Use fresh cherries and remove the pits using a cherry pitter. If you don't have one, you can use the tip of a fruit knife or any other tool to remove the pits.

Instructions

Tart Crust

In a bowl, knead the butter to bring it back to room temperature and soften it, then add the powdered sugar and mix well.

Add the egg yolk and water mixture and mix well At first the mixture will seem to separate, but if you keep mixing it, it will become a beautiful emulsified dough

Add the mixture of egg yolks and water and mix well. At first, it may appear separated, but continue mixing until the batter is smoothly emulsified.

Add sifted flour and salt.

Shape flat, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight

Flatten and shape the dough, then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.

Almond Cream

Place butter in a bowl and knead softly with a rubber spatula. Sift in the powdered sugar and cornstarch and continue to knead softly.

Add almond powder and mix until combined.

Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing thoroughly each time.

Add kirsch and stir.

Preparation of Cherries

Simply taste the cherries How to make Cherry Tart

Since we're using them whole this time, remove the pits using a cherry pitter.

Since we will be using them whole, the seeds are removed with a cherry pitter さくらんぼの汁がかなり飛び散り、手や服につくとなかなか色が落ちないのでビニール手袋をしてエプロンをして作業して下さい！

The juice from the cherries splatters quite a bit, and if it gets on your hands or clothes, it is difficult to remove the color. So please wear plastic gloves and an apron when working. If you do not have a tool, use the tip of a fruit knife to remove the seeds.

Bake the tart dough

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a mesh baking mat.

大きめのキッチンペーパー2枚を用意し、そのあいだに生地を置いてめん棒で叩きながらのばしていきます。型よりひとまわり大きいサイズにのばしながら、2mmくらいの厚さになるように調整します。

Prepare two large sheets of baking paper, place the dough between them, and beat it with a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to a size larger than the mold, and adjust the thickness to about 2 mm / 0.08 inches.

For the bottom of the tart: Cut out a circle slightly smaller than the tart pan to be used (In this case, the tart tin was 16 cm in diameter, so I cut out a 15 cm circle ) Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes

Cut out a circular piece of dough slightly smaller than the tart pan you will be using. Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Using the remaining dough from the base, create a strip with a width of 2cm / 0.08 inches. (the height of the tart). Make sure the total length exceeds 50cm / 20 inches. Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Place the tart ring on a baking sheet lined with a silpat (or baking sheet) and press the dough for the sides lightly onto the tart ring to make it stick together Cut off the excess of the overlapping dough and press the dough together with your fingers so that there are no gaps

Place the tart ring on the mesh baking mat, and lightly press the side dough onto the tart ring to adhere it. Trim off any excess dough where it overlaps and use your fingers to press the dough together to seal any gaps.

Lay down the circular piece of dough for the bottom Press the dough out lightly with your fingers to make the side dough and the bottom dough adhere and become one piece Cut away any dough that protrudes from the tart ring Refrigerate for 10 minutes

Place the circular dough for the bottom into the tart ring and lightly press it with your fingers to adhere it to the side dough, ensuring they are well joined together. Trim off any excess dough that extends beyond the tart ring. Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Place the almond cream into the mold and flatten. (Fill the mold with almond cream to half the height of the mold.)

Arrange the cherries, with seeds removed, throughout

Arrange the pitted cherries evenly over the almond cream.

Bake in a preheated 170°C oven for 30-35 minutes and it is ready to serve

Bake in a preheated 170°C(340°F) oven for 30-35 minutes and it is ready to serve!

Storage

Cherry tart can be refrigerated for about 3 days. Since it is baked with no fresh fruits or cream, it tends to last longer. However, the crispness of the tart crust diminishes over time, so it is recommended to consume it as soon as possible.

You can also freeze the tart. When freezing, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a ziplock bag for storage. It can be kept frozen for about 1 month.

Equipment

It is a convenient tool for removing the pits when you want to use cherries whole. In France, when using cherries for clafoutis and other desserts, it is common to leave the pits in. Similarly, in Italy, they often use cherries with pits for cakes, so they don't pay much attention to removing the cherry pits (they may even leave the stems on and use them for cake decorations).

Therefore, this tool is more commonly used for olive pitting. In Italy, olives are often sold by weight with the pits still intact, and they are used in cooking or as toppings for focaccia. It is a common kitchen tool in Italian households.

I also don't often use cherries whole in my baked goods, so I would hesitate to buy them when cherry season comes around. However, when I visited Italy, my Italian mother-in-law gave me one because she had plenty of them.

Having the tool is convenient, but if you don't plan on using it frequently, you can also remove the pits with the tip of a fruit knife or similar tool.

Tart rings and mesh baking sheet are essential tools for achieving a beautifully finished tart. With their perforated design, heat can evenly penetrate from the bottom and sides, ensuring that the crust adheres well. This reduces the chances of the crust puffing up or undercooking, eliminating the need for pie weights.