cw (06/28/82)
Cherry Tart
Ingredients for Fruit Filling
2 1-lb cans red sour pitted cherries packed in water
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbl kirsch
Method
Drain the cherries saving the liquid. Sprinkle with the
sugar and the kirsch. Let stand for one hour, stirring
occasionally.
Ingredients for Pastry
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter
1 lightly beaten egg
1 Tbl water
2 tsp grated lemon rind
4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup heavy cream whipped
Method
Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the
butter into the flour using two knives or a pastry blender.
The result should resemble fine meal. Make a well in the
center of the mixture. Add the egg, water, and lemon peel.
Work the flour and liquid together with fingers or a fork
until the mixture is a dough that will stick together. Form
a ball. Turn onto a lightly floured board. Using the heel
of your hand, kneed the dough 3 or 4 times. Reshape into a
ball and chill in wax paper for half an hour. When the
dough is chilled, pat the pastry into a 9 inch round flan
ring (e.g., a slip-ring pan). Make the dough layer even and
press up along the edges of the pan with your fingers; crimp
to make an edge. Refrigerate shell while making filling.
Preheat oven to 350o. Drain sugared cherries, saving the
liquid. Add liquid from can to sugared liquid to bring
total to one cup. Put cornstarch into a sauce pan and stir
in the cherry liquid. Bring to a boil stirring the while
and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is clear and
thickened. Add to the drained cherries with the almond
extract. Mix gently. Pour fruit into the tart shell and
bake for 50 minutes until crust is golden and fruit is
bubbly. Serve with whipped cream.
Notes
Of course, the whipped cream can be used to decorate the top
of the tart after the tart has cooled a bit. Also, other
fruits can be used for the filling. This pastry is not
nearly as susceptible to mishandling as ordinary pie crust;
it should be slightly crumbly and cookie-like even when
handled by a novice.