Joining in the cookbook challenge- 1 stonefruits

Here’s how the Cookbook Challenge works:There are 26 themes over 26 fortnights. The challenge is to interpret the given theme whatever way you wish and cook a dish (or dishes) from one of your cookbooks (or magazine) related to the theme. Cooking your dish for each week starts from the date listed and you should post the results of your dish on your blog by the following Saturday before the next fortnight begins if you can. 

The challenge starts from Saturday 1 January with the first theme being "Stonefruits".
Read more:2011-cookbook-challenge

As I missed out heading out to Young (cherry picking capital in NSW) this year and my usual fix of cherry pie, I thought I'd make a cherry tart. Found a great recipe in Bill Granger's cookbook 'Holiday'.

Cherries this season have not been that fantastic due to the rain and prices are still quite high.

Cherry tart
Serves 8-10

Pastry
125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
90g caster sugar
175g plain flour
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons almond meal

Filling
170mL cream
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons plan flour
550g cherries, halved and pitted (fresh is best)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24cm round loose bottomed tart tin
2. To make pastry, stir together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt and stir to make a soft dough. Transfer the dough to the tin and press evenly into the base and side of the tin with your fingertips. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 12-15 mins or until pastry is slightly puffy. Remove from oven and sprinkle the almond meal over the base.

3. To make the filling, whisk together the cream, eggs, vanilla and sugar. Add flour and whisk until well mixed. Arrange cherries, slightly overlapping over the pastry base and pour the cream filling over the cherries.   

4. Return the tart to the oven for a further 40-50 mins until the filling is firm. Leave to cool and serve with cream or icecream

  

I served mine with cream and it was delicious and gone within seconds.