Cookbook Challenge (Stonefruits) - Cherry Tart

After being active in Twitter, I being following my favourite food bloggers on twit. It has definitely increase my interaction with them :). I also learn about the 2011 The Cookbook Challenge when the organiser are twittering about it. Decided to join when I learn about it.

The 1st Challenge theme is Stonefruit. I'm slightly behind as the 2nd theme just started yesterday. Hope I'm able to catch up and finish all 26 themes for my 1st blog event challenge.

Without planning, I went to Gaswork Farmers Market yesterday with Minister to do some marketing. Bought a kg of cherries which is fresh and sweet! Both of us are not a huge fan of cherry but just couldn't resist of getting some after tasting. It occurs to me I could do something with it for my cookbook challenge. With quite a few cookbooks I had in my collection, I knew I won't have any problem finding a recipe which involves with cherry.

Presenting to you, Cherry Tart from Bill Granger Holiday

This is definitely a dessert which I will not try if not for this challenge. It's also my 1st time making tart and instead of making 1 big tart to 8-10 people, I divide all the ingredients into 3 and make 2 small individual tart.

 

See the strips of baking paper under the pastry base? I seem it being done on some cooking program and tested it. It really make it so much easier to remove the tart from the baking tin.

Mr. loves the pastry and me too especially it's so easy to make! No food processor involve, no cutting in method, just a big bowl and wooden spoon. As for the cherries, I pitted it using a chopstick which I learned from Not Quite Nigella. It works very well! Thanks for sharing NQN!
The tart didn't even manage to cool totally before Mr. and me started digging into it.

Cherry Tart
Serve 8-10

Pastry
125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
90g caster sugar
175g plain (all-purpose) flour
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons almond meal

Fillings
170ml cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
550g cherries, halved and pitted (fresh are best)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a 24cm round loose tart tin. To make the pastry, stir together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt and stir to make a soft dough. Transfer the dough to the tin and press evenly into the base and side of the tin with your fingertips. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake fore 12-15mins, or until the pastry is slightly puff. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the almond meal over the base.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, whisk together the cream, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar. Add the flour and whisk until well mixed. Arrange the cherries, slightly overlapping, over the pastry base and pour the cream filling evenly over the cherries.

Return the tart to the oven for a further 40-50mins until the filling is firm. Leave to cool and serve with cream or ice cream.