Chocolate cherry tart
It’s been a long year, and we are so confused. Did 16th-century Italian nobleman, the Marquis Muzio Frangipani, actually introduce almond-scented gloves to France? And was this indeed the inspiration behind the rich almond-infused mixture used in pastries and baking that we know today as frangipane? Or were his gloves actually scented with frangipane flowers, and from there, somehow, a leap was made to the dessert scene, except using almonds?
As we said, it’s been a hectic, tiring 2024, and the internet, bless it, is a confusing place at the best of times. We’ve read various sites and sources, asked AI to sort the bafflement for us, but (and call us dense), we’re still none the wiser about the link between gloves, almonds, and baked goods. All we know for sure is that gloves in the 17th century were apparently never washed and stank so badly they needed deodorising. Disgusting.
We love frangipane. It’s basically a lavish paste made by creaming butter and sugar, adding almond meal, a bit of flour, and some almond extract for that extra jolt of almond-y goodness. It’s always baked before eating (raw eggs and all of that), and it features in desserts like Bakewell tart and breakfast pastries like Bostock and almond croissants. You can make it using other types of ground nuts—hazelnuts spring to mind—and if you really want to take it OTT, do as we’ve done and whip it into a chocolate version.
Note that we didn’t add any almond extract, but you can turf in a little if you love that flavour; we’d say no more than half a teaspoon though, as this stuff is potent. If the thought of making this tart from scratch seems a little daunting, break the tasks down. Make your pastry and the frangipane filling ahead of time; they’ll each keep in the fridge for 2-3 days so you can space the work out.
This dessert is perfect for cherry season, so we’ve added some of those too. And it serves a LOT of people as it’s quite lavish, so it’s an excellent option for a crowd. All this tart needs for serving is a good splodge of whipped cream, and it's good to go.
SERVES 8-10
100g unsalted butter, softened
75g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
165g (1⅓ cup) almond meal
2½ tbsp plain flour
75g dark chocolate, chopped and melted
350g cherries, pitted and cut in half
110g (⅓ cup) cherry jam
2½ tbsp water
Chocolate pastry
150g(1 cup) plain flour
80g (½ cup) icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
2 egg yolks
1½ tbsp iced water, approximately
For the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, then whisk to mix well. Add the butter then, using your fingertips, rub the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Combine the egg yolks and iced water in a bowl, then add to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, mix the yolks in to form a dough, kneading it lightly to bring it together (do not over handle) and adding a dribble more cold water if you absolutely must (too much and the pastry will shrink when it bakes). Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for it to rest and firm up.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 3 mm-thick rectangle, large enough to fit the base and sides of a 12 cm x 35 cm fluted tart tin with a removable base. Line the tin with the pastry, trimming the edges even. Chill the pastry for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Line the pastry case with baking paper, then fill with baking beads, rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until the dough is partially cooked, then remove the paper and beads and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until dry to the touch.
Meanwhile for the filling, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat well. Stir in the almond meal and flour, then stir in the chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Spoon into the pastry case then gently press the cherries over the surface.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is set and firm in the centre. Remove from the oven. While the tart is baking, bring the water and jam to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring to combine well. Sieve the mixture then brush lightly over the hot tart.
