Wednesday, August 29, 2018

RUSTIC CHERRY TARTS

A simple rustic tart that highlights the beautiful, fresh cherry textures and flavors.
In the summer, I love deserts that feature fresh fruits. These little tarts are straightforward, consisting of a small circular crust with a mixture of cherries and sugar on top. Simple, yet they are still a beautiful, tasty treat. The simplicity of the recipe allows the flaky texture of the crust and juicy flavor of the cherries to shine.
Ingredients
  • For the Crust
  • 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water
  • For the filling
  • 4 cups pitted sweet cherries
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until pea sized crumbs.
  2. Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture, lightly stirring with a fork until dough forms into a ball. Chill the dough for at least an hour. This makes it much easier to handle.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the cherries with the sugar and cornstarch.
  4. Divide the dough into fourths. Roll out each fourth into a 8 in round circle. Trim the edges a bit with a knife, if necessary.
  5. Spoon a cup of the cherries into the middle of each circle, leaving about an inch and a half of crust around the edges.
  6. Gently fold the edge of the crust over the cherries, pleating as you go. Brush the crust with a beaten egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cherries are tender.