Cooked Sweet Cherries, Mascarpone & Crème Fraiche Filling, Cherry Syrup and Almond Flakes.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g fresh cherries (set aside a few fresh cherries for garnish)
• 3/4 cup sugar (brown, coconut, or muscovado sugar)
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 1 roll of shortcrust pastry (e.g., Careme shortcrust sour cream pastry)
• 250g mascarpone
• 200g crème fraiche
• 1 tbsp almond flakes
• Olive oil (for greasing the tart tin)
  

METHOD

1. Remove the pastry from its packaging and allow it to defrost.
2. Pit the cherries (see note below) and place the seedless cherries into a medium pot. Add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the cherries, then stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the cherries from the syrup using a sieve over a bowl. Set the cooked cherries aside. Return the syrup to the pot and cook over high heat for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. The syrup will thicken further as it cools. Place both the cherries and syrup in the fridge to chill.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a round tart tin with olive oil.
4. Roll the pastry over the tart tin and gently press it into the tin using your fingers. Trim any excess pastry from the edges using a sharp knife. Use a fork to lightly prick the base of the pastry to create small holes.
5. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with pie weights, uncooked rice, or uncooked chickpeas to prevent the pastry from puffing up while baking. Bake for 15 minutes
6. Remove the baking paper and weights, reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F), and bake for another 15 minutes or until the pastry is fully cooked through. Once done, remove from the oven and cool completely.
7. Once the pastry has cooled, carefully remove it from the tin and transfer it onto a serving plate or platter.
8. In a medium bowl, gently fold together the mascarpone and crème fraiche with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overwork it, as the mixture should remain thick and fluffy.
9. Spread the mascarpone crème fraiche mixture over the cooled pastry. Top with the cooked cherries, drizzle with the cherry syrup, and finish with almond flakes and any extra fresh cherries.
   

Notes:

• Removing the seed from a cherry is very simple if you don’t have a cherry pitter. Just slice the cherries in half with a small knife and use your fingers to remove the seed, it comes out very easily. Use gloves if you like so that your hands don’t get stained. 
• Choose a tart tin or other baking tin that is slightly smaller than the width and size of the pre-made pastry. The pastry needs to fit the entire tart tin. 
• Watch the pastry as it’s being cooked as ovens may differ in heat strength. You may need to turn the tart tin around as one part of the oven may be hotter than the other. 

Prep time: 30 minutes.
Cook time: 50-55 minutes.
Serves: 4-6.

Recipe and photos by Anastasia Zolotarev. Click here to see her blog.