Wicked Cherry-Almond Tart

We just had the most fabulous whirlwind 24 hour string of adventures.  Mom and Mee-Ma came up yesterday to spend the evening, and they left this morning. 

They joined Jennifer and myself for a Café Caturra lunch to start off the afternoon. We then ventured off to see a psychic (why not?), and then dined at American Bistro in the northside for dinner (fabulous). 

We were then mesmerized and enthused by Wicked at the Landmark Theatre. 

A few days ago, I made a Cherry-Almond Tart to save for this weekend to celebrate Mom and Mee-Ma’s October birthdays.  We enjoyed this tart for breakfast over coffee and conversation this morning; it was a delicious celebration. 

I will definitely be making this tart again and again.  The canvas is the puff pastry - you can add any kinds of fruits, jams, and nuts that you like to jazz up the flavors and textures.  I used cherries and almonds because they are a natural pair, and I thought they would look ultra-pretty for a birthday celebration.  I chose raspberry jam to add a different fruit flavor as well as a "pie-filling" consistency.  The lemon adds brightness, and the pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the fruits. 

This tart is so easy, so versatile, and so gourmet.  Enjoy!

Wicked Cherry-Almond Tart

Recipe: Meg

Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1 bag frozen dark pitted cherries
½ cup sliced almonds
3-4 tablespoons raspberry jam (we used seedless)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons white sugar
dash of salt

The Process:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Allow one sheet of puff pastry to thaw at room temperature (about 1 hour).   

I used frozen dark sweet pitted cherries for this tart because I found a bag on sale, which rarely happens.  Fresh cherries would be awesome, too, but you would have to remove each seed, one by one, and honestly - who has the time?  Anyway, let the cherries thaw a bit at room temperature.  They do not have to be completely thawed before you get cookin', though.

Gently unfold the puff pastry sheet, and place it on a smooth surface.  Use a rolling pin to lightly roll the dough out just a bit so that it is one big square.  You can dust the surface with a little flour to prevent it from sticking. 

Put a dinner-sized plate on the dough, upside down.  Trim off the edges with a knife so you have a perfect circle for your pie pan.  Press the puff pastry dough into the pan.  Pinch the sides however you would like for an aesthetic, rustic appeal.   Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on the dough. 

This next step is pretty darn important.  Pierce the pastry with a fork about 10 times (edges and the bottom) to help air release while cooking.  If you skip this step, you will have a king-sized puffy pastry pillow inside your pan instead of a pretty pie shell.  I know this from experience.

Place the puff pastry in the oven for about 10 minutes to brown it up a bit.  The reason you do this before adding the filling is so that the foundation gets a little firm to avoid the cherry-jam mixture making the crust too soggy later. 

While the pastry is cooking, in a small saucepan, heat the raspberry jam, lemon juice, and dash of salt over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes until bubbly.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and let it cool down.

Remove pastry from the oven, and let cool.  Scoop the cherries into the pastry.  Drizzle the raspberry-lemon jam mixture over the cherries.  Place the tart in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. 

While the pastry is cooking, toast up the almonds in a pan (no oil added – the nuts will release their own oils), tossing every minute or so, for about 4 or 5 minutes.  Do not let them burn! Once you smell that intoxicating almond scent, they are DONE.  Remove from heat.

Once your tart is cooked, and the edges are nice and golden brown, remove it from the oven, and let it cool for awhile.  Go run errands, go to work, whatever . . . it can be left at room temperature for atleast 24-36 hours.  I would not suggest putting the tart in the fridge because the crust may lose it's flaky, crispy appeal.

Before serving, sprinkle the top of the tart with the toasted almonds.  Enjoy for dessert, for a snack, or for breakfast! 

It’s simple, it’s special, it’s wicked-good.