DORIS' CHERRY MERINGUE TART

Doris' cherry meringue tart image

An impressive centrepiece for a dinner party dessert

Provided by Mary Cadogan

Categories Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Treat

Time 55m

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

250g homemade or ready-made shortcrust pastry , thawed if frozen
3 tbsp ground almonds
3 tbsp caster sugar , plus 100g/4oz
2 x 350-400g cans or jars of cherries
2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp Crème de Cassis , crème de mûre or kirsch
2 egg whites

Steps:

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm flan tin. Press the pastry into the corners and trim off the excess pastry with a sharp knife. Mix the ground almonds with the 3 tbsp of sugar, then sprinkle over the pastry base.
Drain the cherries well, then pat very dry with kitchen paper. Reserve 200ml of the juice. Scatter the cherries over the pastry case and bake for 15-20 mins, until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Tip the juice into a small pan and boil for 3 mins until reduced a little. Blend the cornflour to a paste with a little cold water and stir into the pan, cooking until thickened and smooth. Stir in the liqueur and pour into the tart case, then leave to cool while you make the meringue.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the 100g of caster sugar until thick. Spread over the filling, ensuring there are no gaps between the filling and the tart case. Return to the oven for 10 mins to brown the meringue, then serve warm or cold.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 438 calories, Fat 17 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 68 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 48 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 0.28 milligram of sodium