Sour Cherry Tart

Ingredients

Pastry:

300 g chilled unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
330 g plain flour
3/4 cup (170 ml) sour cream
1 pinch of salt
Hint: remove a third of your finished pastry to roll out for your garnish pieces (stars, love hearts, leaves – your choice).

Filling:

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup cherry juice blend
4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp almond extract

Method

Filling:

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth.

Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract; set aside.

Pastry:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and butter until crumbly. Gradually add sour cream, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide pastry into 80-20, where 80% of it will be used for the tart and the remaining 20% for the garnish.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball to fit a pie/tart dish. Transfer pastry to pie dish; trim even over the edge of the dish. Add filling.

Roll out remaining pastry; create shaped garnishes and place on a separate oven tray or heat resistant mat.

Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 190°C; bake 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Hint - bake your garnish and remove when golden brown (around the 12 minute mark).

Once cool, add desired amount of garnish.

Credits: AGFG

Photo Credits: Rikki Snyder