Dessert catering? Deliver local? Retail establishment? Food truck?

When I’m not working, I’m in the kitchen developing new recipes, and refining desserts that have passed the first few tests in my process. Can it be made consistently each time? Can components be made separately and stored for later use? Does it have a shelf life? What happens when you scale the recipe up? At what point do the product and labor costs make it a viable product for production?

bing cherries in a wooden basket — Fresh Bing Cherries

There are a thousand questions that have to be answered. The checklist for a new product making it into the mix is extensive, but the ability to answer the questions before developing new recipes has become easier over time.

Cherry Sorbet

Add 3 cups pitted tart red cherries to food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Process until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of cherry juice or water at a time to achieve liquid consistency. Pour cherry mixture into freezer friendly container. Cover and freeze several hours until partially frozen. Remove sorbet from freezer. Stir and scrape hard and soft parts with a fork to combine. Cover and freeze until ready to enjoy, ideally overnight.

I make, bake, and give away desserts on a regular basis. It has helped me greatly in determining what will sell, and to whom. To make Tartistry a reality, an extensive product line is required. My starting point – tarts, cheesecakes, cakes, mini cakes, cupcakes, cookies, dessert bars, truffle candies. Eight categories to define my style and offerings.

Developing a product line has been my first objective. If I never open the doors to a dessert shop, I have spent several years working on the craft, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the process.

cherry tart with almond and lime infused sweet pastry crust — Cherry tart with lime infused sweet pastry crust and almond crumble

Let’s make a tart. A cherry tart. Cherries are in season, plentiful in every supermarket, and seriously delicious.

This rustic cherry tart starts with a riff on classic style French tart dough. The dough bakes a bit crispier and sturdier than a straight sweet crust pastry. It holds up nicely for several days after the tart has been baked.

The lime zest adds a nice citrus note to the lightly sweetened crust.

The dough can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated until ready to prepare the tart.

Cherry Crumble Tart

Tom

Sour Cherry Tart with Sweet French Pastry Crust and Almond Crumble Topping

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 2 hrs

Course Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry Dough

160 grams all-purpose flour (1-¼ cups)
25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons), blended to fine powder
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
1-½ teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
½ cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
20 grams egg yolk (1 large), lightly beaten
15 to 30 grams cold heavy cream (1 to 2 tablespoons)

Almond Crumble Topping

65 grams all-purpose flour (½ cup)
50 grams almond flour (½ cup)
67 grams light brown sugar (⅓ cup)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
65 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons), cold and diced small
30 grams cold heavy cream (2 tablespoons)

Sour Cherry Filling

3 cups fresh Bing cherries, pitted and rough chopped
50 grams granulated sugar (¼ cup)
24 grams arrowroot starch (3 tablespoons)
6 grams vanilla paste (1-½ teaspoons)
7 grams fresh lime juice (1-½ teaspoons)
20 grams sliced toasted almonds (1/4 cup)

Instructions

Sweet Pastry Dough

Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, and finely grated fresh lime zest to a food processor. Pulse until well combined.
Add cold unsalted butter pieces to food processor and pulse several times until butter resembles small peas.
Add lightly beaten egg yolk and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Pulse a few times until dough comes together. If the dough is too dry, add additional heavy cream about 1 teaspoon at a time.
Pat dough into a long, slender rectangle. Wrap tightly in plastic.
Refrigerate 1 hour.*

Almond Crumble Topping

Add all-purpose flour, almond flour, brown sugar, and fine sea salt to a small mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
Using your fingers or a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the mix until butter resembles small peas.
Gently stir in the heavy cream.
Set aside.

Sour Cherry Filling

Add rough chopped fresh cherries, granulated sugar, arrowroot starch, vanilla paste, and fresh lime juice to a mixing bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap and thaw for 15 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured smooth surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle 16 x 6-inches. Flour your rolling pin, roll the dough loosely around it, then unroll it over the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Using a sharp knife or fingers, trim the excess dough to fit the pan. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Refrigerating the dough relaxes the gluten and reduces the amount of shrinkage during baking.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Dock the pastry dough with a small fork (poke holes in the dough). Fill the shell with prepared cherry filling.
Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven.
Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle reserved crumble topping over filling. Sprinkle sliced almonds over topping.
Return to oven for 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbling and the crumble topping should be golden brown.
Remove tart from the oven and place on wire rack. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Best served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, and a dollop of whipped cream.