CHERRY TART WITH COCOA NIB CRUST

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Cherry Tart with Cocoa Nib Crust image

Chocolate crust cradles a bevy of "superfoods," including almonds, cherries, and eggs. Inspired by the French classic clafoutis, this tart is "choc full" of cherries. They float jewel-like inside a sweet, vanilla-scented custard. By the way, here are three good ways to pit a cherry: (1) Use an old-fashioned vegetable peeler that has a curved edge on top to scratch around the top of the cherry pit, then dig around the stone, scoop under it, and it will pop right out; (2) use a paring knife as above (but watch out-it's easy to slice your fingertips); (3) use a cherry-pitter carried by some gourmet kitchen stores-a special tool invented just for this job! This recipe requires only half a batch of the Chocolate Sugar Dough-make a full batch and freeze half for future crust or cookie needs.

Yield makes 1 (9-inch) tart

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 pound Chocolate Sugar Dough (page 132)
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon nut liqueur (such as Frangelico or Amaretto) (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups pitted sour cherries (preferably fresh, or frozen)

Steps:

  • To prepare the crust, make the Chocolate Sugar Dough. Knead in the cocoa nibs. Press the dough into a flat disk, wrap with plastic or place in a sealable plastic freezer bag, and chill for 20 minutes or so. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or flat surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a tart pan (9 inches in diameter, 2 inches deep) by loosening the dough from the work surface with an offset spatula, then sliding the tart pan under it. Once you smooth the dough in the tart pan (pinching any rips or cracks together with your fingers), line the top of the dough with a layer of almonds, lightly pressing them into the dough. Cover this prepared tart shell with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  • To make the custard, combine the milk and cream in a small saucepan with the vanilla bean pod and seeds. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  • Meanwhile, briskly whisk together the eggs, sugar, arrowroot, almond extract, nut liqueur, and salt in a bowl. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the hot milk mixture and slowly pour one-third of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk. Repeat this process two more times and stir until the batter is smooth.
  • Remove the prepared tart shell from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Put the cherries in the shell. Then pour the batter over the cherries and allow the mixture to rest for about a minute. Place a cake pan half full of water in the oven to keep the oven moist. Place the tart pan in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is lightly browned and solid, with no liquid jiggle in the center.
  • Allow the tart to cool in the pan to room temperature before serving.

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