Wild Cherry & Amaretti Tart: a Recipe Is a Treasure

 

This tart recipe remained stuck on my recipe book for years, unused; I don't remember from what magazine I cut it out neither who the author is...the only thing I know is that this cake became one of my favourite since the day I first baked it! This tart (crostata, in italian!) is a delight for the palate and a pleasure for the eye because it is not only very delicious but also really pretty (isn't it?). And it needs to be said that it is also kind of magic because the decoration is created in the oven while the tart is being baked. I stuck a recipe and I found a small treasure.. 

WILD CHERRY & AMARETTI TART
For 8 servings or for a 26cm tart tin

For the sweet shortcrust pastry

300g Plain Flout (or the italian "00" type)
150g Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
120g Caster sugar
1 Egg (medium)
1 Yolk
1 Lemon (zest grated)
7-8g Baking powder

For the filling

150g Wild cherry jam
Amaretti biscuits

Maraschino

In a bowl mix flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrums; add the sugar and lemon zest and mix together. Add the egg and the yolk and knead by hand for a couple of minutes until everything comes together and you have big crumbs. Compact the mixture into a ball and let rest for 30' or more in the fridge, Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll 2/3 of the pastry until 3-4 mm thick and line the tart tin with it. Spread the jam on the bottom, soak very quickly the amaretti in the maraschino liqueur and arrange them in a spiral starting from the centre. Roll the last third of the pastry, cover the amaretti layer with it and seal the edges very well. Bake for 40'.

As you can see the ingredients are very simple so the same old rule applies: they have to be high quality!!

A delicious smile, 

D.

Chocolate Special: Warm Chocolate & Raspberry Tart

Or I should say Special Hermé since this recipe, and the other two which will follow in the next posts, is taken from his well known book "Chocolate Desserts", something you must have in your library at home!

I write the recipe as it appears on the book.

WARM CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY TART

1 Fully baked 8¾-inch (22 cm) tart shell, cooled at room temperature (*)
½ Cup (55gr) Raspberries
5 oz. (145gr) Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 oz. (115gr) Unsalter butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 Large egg, at room temperature, stirred with a fork
3 Large egg yolks, at room temperature, stirred with a fork
2 Tbsp Sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and fill the tart crust with the raspberries. Melt chocolate and butter in separate bowls either over simmering water on in a microwave. Leave them to cool until they feel warm to the touch (104°F or 60°C, as measured on an istant-read thermometer, is perfect). Using a small whisk or a rubber spatula, stir the egg into the chocolate, stirring gently in ever-widening circles an taking care not to agitate the mixture. It is important not to incorporate air into the ganache. Little by little, stir in the egg yolks and the sugar. Finally, still working gently, add the butter and stir. Pour the ganache over the raspberries in the shell. Bake the tart for 11 minutes. The centre of the tart will shimmy if jiggled. Remove the tart fron the oven, slide it on a rack and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
The crust cab be made ahead but the tart should be assembled as soon the ganache is ready. The tart is meant to be eaten soon after it comes from the oven, but it can be kept overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature before being eaten the next day. The filling will be firmer but still delicious.

(*) I made the pastry following the recipe by Santin that you can find here, the only difference is that I used gluten free flour. The pastry was fantasitc and so I think from now on to use only this type of flour.

For blind baking:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Fill the the crust with dried beans, rice or baking beans and bake for 18-20 minutes, just until it is very lightly coloured. Then remove the parchment and beans and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool.

"But why don't we see the tart???" you will be wondering...beh, because I cut it using a round pastry cutter (4.5cm) to make little mini tarts...
Be patient, you will see the final result at the end of this chocolate special!

A chocosmile,
Diletta

PS. Useless to say that this tart is really really really.....delicious!!!