A cherry tart is baked twice, first without filling and then with it. The shell is baked until golden brown and pricked to avoid puffing up. A layer of cream is added before placing fresh cherries on top. Glazing and dusting with sugar enhances the flavor and appearance.
A cherry tart is a relatively easy baked desert. There are countless recipes for this open pie, but the cherry pie baking process is usually the same in each one. Top baking tips for this classic dessert include baking the tart twice, pricking the bottom of the tart to make sure it doesn’t puff up, using some sort of custard filling, and using fresh, pitted cherries. For presentation purposes, in addition to enhancing the flavor of the cherry tart, it is common for bakers to glaze the cherries and lightly dust sugar on top.
A cherry tart is actually baked twice, first without the filling and then with it. Custard and cherries, when cooked in an uncooked shell, typically burn before the shell has finished cooking. Thus, the shell, which is usually made of flaky pastry, is baked until golden brown before the tart is filled. This is done by a process known as blind cooking, which involves weighting the bottom of the shell down with beans or some other heavy object so the bottom doesn’t puff up. Even if you are making the tart with a graham cracker crust, it is recommended that you bake before filling.
Once the shell finishes its first round in the oven, it is then cooled and the bottom is pricked several times with a fork or toothpick to ensure the shell does not puff up once. Doing this is one of the most important aspects of baking a tart. Puff pastry, especially flaky pastry, can still rise slightly when returned to the oven even if it is fully baked. This rise can produce an uneven tartness.
After pricking the bottom of the cherry tart, it is filled in two layers. The first is a layer of cream. The cherries are then placed evenly on top of the cream. Cream is essential for making a cherry tart because it’s what rises around the cherries to form a somewhat flat surface. While canned or frozen cherries can work in a pinch, fresh cherries are generally preferred. It is important, however, to pierce the cherries before using them, even if the bag claims they have already been pierced. A stray cherry pit can ruin a cherry tart.
Once the tart has completed its second baking, brushing each individual cherry with a glaze will not only enhance the flavor of the tart but also bring the cherries visually to life. Some bakers also prefer to lightly dust the cake with sugar immediately after it comes out of the oven. This step doesn’t add too much extra sweetness, although it can make the tart much prettier.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
