Summer is the season for sweet cherries. This Cherry Pastry Tart is the perfect dessert that is easy to make and delicious. This rustic cherry tart smothers a puff pastry crust with fresh cherries, and almonds. It’s a stunning summer dessert with its purplish summer stone fruit. Ideal for dessert and, if you can manage to save a slice, for breakfast as well.
This tart is a quick weekday dessert that you can easily put together. Or weekend party food, or game day dessert, because the tart really looks and tastes way more than how you make it! After all, who doesn’t love puff pastry?!
WHAT IS PUFF PASTRY?
Puff pasty is a light, flaky, and buttery dough. It is thin layers of dough separated by a thin layer of butter. The dough is rolled out with a rolling pin and a layer of butter is smeared on top. Then, it’s folded over and rolled out again. This process is repeated over and over. Commonly, puff pastry can have up to 1,000 layers! Do you see why I’m not attempting to make it from scratch?
Once puff pastry is baked, the butter melts to create steam. This is how those flaky layers are formed. Each layer of dough is separated from the next to create a puffed dough that’s golden brown and super delicate.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED?
You will need the following ingredients:
- Puff Pastry (I have used Kawan Puff Pastry Squares here)
- 2 cups sweet cherries stemmed, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar divided
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- egg + 1 tbsp water beaten together for egg wash
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY PASTRY TART?
Prepare the Puff Pastry:
Defrost the pastry in refrigerator overnight.
Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a one-inch border around the pastry and using the fork prick inside the puff pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the border with beaten milk and sprinkle with brown sugar.
A filling:
Combine cherries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Using a potato masher or heavy flat bottom glass mash mixture a few times.
Spread cherries into the center of the pastry, leaving about 2 cm boarder around.
Bake the tart:
Preheat the oven to 375 C and bake these prepare pastry in a lined baking sheet for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.
Add topping:
Once you’re ready to serve the cherry tart, a sprinkling of toasted almond slices and powdered sugar is the finishing touch to wow your family and friends!
TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT CHERRY TART:
- Start with puff pastry that has been fully defrosted.
- Use a lightly floured, clean work surface, and lightly floured hands (and rolling pin, if using).
- Work carefully to unfold the puff pastry from the paper. Be patient, don’t force it or the pastry can tear or crack.
- Puff pastry is easiest to work with when cold but still pliable. Try to find the sweet spot before it warms up and gets too soft or sticky.
- Bake using a parchment paper lined sheet pan to avoid sticking.
- When using high-moisture fruits, add more flour or cornstarch to the mixture to lock in some of the juice. When you are making savory filling, make sure to saute until its dry.
- Do brush the exposed pastry with egg wash right popping the pastry in the oven, to give the top a glossy shine.
CAN I MAKE A THIS CHERRY TART WITH FROZEN CHERRIES?
You can definitely swap in frozen cherries for the fresh cherries in this recipe. There’s no need to thaw them and no need to add any extra baking time.
CAN I USE ANY OTHER FRUITS IN THIS RECIPE?
Yes! Use what you like. This tart would also be amazing with any of the following fruits:
- Peaches
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Pears
You can also use a combination of two fruits – peaches and raspberries would be amazing together. Also, have fun experimenting with different spices and flavorings. Try a combination of cardamon with cherries, cinnamon with pears, or drizzle an apple galette with salted caramel or honey.
WHAT MAKES THE BEST PUFF PASTRY?
Good puff pastry is packed with butter. Those buttery layers of dough are what make puff pastry puff, create the delicate and flaky texture, and of course, taste so delicious.
If you’re not making your own, then look for all-butter puff pastry at the store, which will rise better and have a ton more flavor than their counterparts made with shortening.
HOW LONG DOES PUFF PASTRY TAKE TO THAW?
The best way is to thaw this slowly, overnight in the refrigerator, or up to 24 hours before you’re ready to bake.
CAN I MAKE THIS TART AHEAD?
We love how crisp and flaky the crust on the day it is made.
More cherry recipes you might like:
Craving for more tart recipes?
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Cherry Pastry Tart
Ingredients
- 4 cups sweet cherries stemmed pitted and halved
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar divided
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- egg + 1 tbsp water beaten together for egg wash
- 4 Puff Pastry Squares
Instructions
- Defrost the pastry in refrigerator overnight.
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a one-inch border around the pastry and using the fork prick inside the puff pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the border with beaten milk and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Combine cherries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Using a potato masher or heavy flat bottom glass mash mixture a few times.
- Spread cherries into the center of the pastry, leaving about 2 cm boarder around.
- Preheat the oven to 375 C and bake these prepare pastry in a lined baking sheet for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.
- Once you’re ready to serve the cherry tart, a sprinkling of toasted almond slices and powdered sugar.
