A Dazzling Cherry Tart

With the warm weather comes some of the best fruit of the year, luxuriously plump and bursting with flavor. Farm-fresh cherries, peaches, melons, and more are summer staples and just another perk of life in the Livermore Valley. This week we are celebrating National Cherry Tart Day, a sweet celebration of one of the warm season’s first fruits. Choose the ripest cherries you can find, whether tart or sweet, and try your hand at making a rustic cherry tart (if you manage to not eat them all fresh, of course). You can even make miniature tarts for the perfect personal portion!

Rustic Cherry Tarts

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. If making a full size galette-style tart, roll out the dough into a rough circle until about 1/4 inch thick. If making mini tarts, divide the dough into fourths, then roll out each fourth into an 8 in round circle. Trim the edges a bit with a knife, if necessary.
5. Fur full size, spoon the filling into the center, leaving a 2 inch border on the sides. For mini tarts, 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 (45-50 minutes for full size or 25-30 minutes for mini) or until the crust is golden brown and the cherries are tender.

   Recipe From Chocolate With Grace

For an optional fancy topping, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan, then add ½ cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of white wine (like our Trebbiano). Stir on low heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Drizzle onto your cherry tart for a classy hint of sweetness!

We are always looking for delicious pairing opportunities, and this cherry tart is no exception. We recommend our Sparkling wine (on sale now!) for a perfect match for a summertime party. 
Cheers!