Cherry Chocolate Tart

Cherry Chocolate Tart

crust:

cherry filling:

    • 1 1/2 pounds (about 4 cups) pitted pie cherries (use sweet cherries if pie cherries are not available)

    • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

    • 1/4 cup minute tapioca

    • zest and juice of 1 lemon

    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

chocolate pudding:

    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

    • 1/4 teaspoon salt

    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

    • 2 egg yolks

    • 2 ounces dark, bittersweet chocolate, chopped

    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cook's Note:

This recipe makes enough dough, cherry filling and chocolate pudding to fill a 9-inch round tart pan. I used a smaller rectangular pan measuring about 9x4 inches, so I ended up with some leftovers of each.

1. Prepare and bake the crust:

Follow the instructions in the recipe link above to make and bake your tart crust. Set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the cherry filling:

In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the cherry filling. Let stand for 15 minutes. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it's close to boiling, stir constantly, then cook until the juices thicken to the consistency of pie filling. Set aside to cool at room temperature for an hour.

3. Prepare the chocolate pudding:

In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk, then the egg yolks, whisking to break up any lumps. Over medium heat, bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once the pudding boils, continue cooking, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate and vanilla, stirring until smooth.

4. Assemble the tart:

As soon as the chocolate is ready, it's time to put your tart together. Spoon the cherries into the bottom of the crust; they should cover the bottom and come about halfway up the sides, but not fill it so completely that there's not enough room for the chocolate.

Spoon the warm chocolate pudding over the cherries, spreading out the top. Let the tart sit on the counter so the pudding can cool a little, then place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours, until well chilled.

Garnish the top of the tart with extra cherries before serving.

For any leftover dough, wrap it tightly in plastic, label and freeze it for future use. For any leftover cherry filling, spoon it into jars and refrigerate or freeze for another pie or tart. For any leftover pudding, scoop it into a bowl and eat it warm with a little whipped cream - it's fantastic!

Yields enough for one 9-inch round tart (8 servings).

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen