Sour cherry and chocolate tart

There are so many desserts to make and try that I haven't made a tart in quite a while.

I absolutely love to make and eat the classic lemon meringue tart. It consists of a tangy lemon curd and a fluffy meringue topping. My husband doesn't share the same love for this tart, he says it is too acidic and he is also not a fan of the meringue. Because of that, I substituted the lemon crud for sour cherries and because cherries and chocolate go so well together, I made a dark chocolate ganache topping.

The tart is simple to make, the more difficult part is (as always) the shortbread pastry. This pastry is extremely crumbly and flavorful. Because of its crumbly texture it is difficult to work with. You have two options, you can roll the pastry or you can just press it in the tart shell. I chose to roll it and it was very delicate. I had a few cracks in the pastry but they are easily fixed with a little extra pastry pressed right in the tart shell. The shortbread pastry is my favorite so far, it is buttery and crumbly and a perfect combination with a cherry curd.    

I noticed that the usual fluted tart shape is not that popular anymore, instead the plain circle shape is used more often. I also love the look of a plain circle shaped tart, it looks elegant and interesting. Because I don't have any round tart molds I used individual cheesecake molds. They worked out fine, the pastry was nicely baked but it needed a little trim at the top after baking for an even edge. 

I made a sour cherry curd with frozen cherries I had leftover in the freezer. The curd is simple to make and it is nice and thick, plus it doesn't leek out of the tart when you eat it. After the curd was set and cooled I made a dark chocolate ganache.

The tarts look great but after a night in the fridge the ganache cracked. I had no idea what went wrong and I decided to ask the professional pastry chefs. There were many theories but the conclusion was that the ganache lacked elasticity. The problem can be solved with a tablespoon of honey or corn syrup in the chocolate ganache. I haven't tried this, but you can give it a go and maybe the ganache won't crack. The other option is, that you make the ganache a few hours before serving the tarts and it will be fine.

I love the simple and powerful flavors of this tart. When you cut the tart in half you can see the beautiful and natural red color of the curd and a layer of the deliciously crumbly pasty.

Sour cherry and chocolate tart

(Makes 5 medium sized or one big)

Preparation: 30min

Resting: 45min
Cooking: 20min

Baking: 15min

Cooling: 20min
Chilling: 1 hour

For the shortbread pastry:

• 130g all purpose flour
• 35g icing sugar
• 113g cold butter (cut into chunks)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of apricot glaze (to seal the crust)

For the sour cherry curd:

• 250g frozen sour cherries (save a few for the decoration)
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Kirsch (optional)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• a pinch of salt
• 10g chilled butter

For the chocolate ganache:

• 150g heavy cream
• 150g dark chocolate (I used 60% cocoa)
• a teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

Making the pastry:

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and process to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the pastry looks like coarse bread crumbs. Transfer the pastry to a floured surface and knead until it comes together (try not to knead to much). Shape the pastry into a disc and wrap in plastic foil. Place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Flour the board and roll out the pastry into a desired shape and size and gently place in the tart shell. Trim of the excess pastry and fill the cracks that may have formed.

Place the tarts in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill, this prevents the pastry from shrinking when it bakes. 

Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F) and place the rack in the center of the oven.

Place the tart pan(s) on a larger baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. When done, place the tart pan(s) on a wire rack to cool completely.

When the crust is completely cool, brush it with apricot glaze, this will help to keep the crust crunchy. 

Making the sour cherry curd:

Combine cherries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and water in a small pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture in a food processor or use a immersion blender and process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into another small pot and discard the solids. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth. Stir the yolk mixture into cherry mixture, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for one minute while stirring constantly, the mixture should thicken and coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and add butter and Kirsch, stir until smooth. 

Pour the curd into a measuring jug and carefully fill the baked tart shell(s). Tap the shell gently so that the curd evens out. Set aside to cool. Place plastic wrap directly on the curd and transfer to a fridge to completely set (30 minutes).

Making the ganache:

Pour heavy cream in a small sauce pan, on medium heat, and add the instant espresso powder.

Meanwhile chop the chocolate in small pieces and place in a heat-proof bowl.

When the cream comes to a boil pour it over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Mix until smooth and shiny. Pour the ganache carefully over the cooled cherry curd (I used a spoon) and make sure you get and even layer of the ganache. Place the tart(s) in the fridge to set.

You can serve the tart with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipping cream with a teaspoon of Kirsch. To make the chocolate truffles, use the leftover ganache, make small balls and coat with coconut flakes or cacao powder.