How to Make a Cherry Tart

With summer fruits bursting at every market and farm stand, I am always tempted to buy too much.   Which is good and bad; it encourages consumption of a supremely delicious and healthy snack, but the fruit is only good for a short time and will rot if left to sit.

I had a surfeit of farm stand cherries last week, having been seduced by the rustic wooden bucket of them for a relatively modest price.  We ate our fill of them, but even with steady consumption, after 3 days, the remaining half bucket began to look tired.  Swift action was needed, and I concocted this very simple tart, riffing on the raspberry bar recipe we posted earlier this year. 

Crust

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup flour

Filling:

2 cups pitted cherries have been a success
2 TBSP  brown sugar
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP water
sprinkle of cinnamon if desired

Heat oven to 350. 

Prepare fruit--if you're pitting cherries, get comfortable;  this task is kind of the pits.

Place pitted cherries in skillet with other filling ingredients and cook over med-low until juice is rendered and cherries are very soft, approximately 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dough.  Mix all ingredients on medium speed until dough is crumbly and just starting to hold together.  Place 2/3 of dough into an ungreased fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; press dough firmly into bottom and up sides of pan about 1/2 inch.  Pour fruit mixture into tart.  Crumble remaining dough over the fruit and press gently into the tart.  Bake 40 minutes until crust and topping begin to brown.   Serve with mascarpone whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.