Making as much in advance when having guests for a party or dinner is part of my meal plan. I want to have fun also and enjoy my guests after all that is why I invited them in the first place. But I also want to have a “wow factor” dessert without have to work in a hot kitchen for hours. I don’t want any last minute thing that I have to do to finish it off either. This tart fits all my needs but also makes it look like I’ve spent hours preparing it. If you have a food processor the crust is quickly prepared and there is no rolling out the dough. You just press it in with your hands and mix all the filling ingredients and into the oven it goes. It can be made the day before so that you can concentrate on all the other dishes you are going to prepare.
Cherry Crumble Tart is not sweet and the binder of crushed amoretti is typical of Italian desserts. The only thing you have to watch for is that it has the right amount of sweetness. If you use another biscotti such as ladyfingers that are less sweet then you might have to add a little sugar. I generally use what ever biscotti I have in the house. This tart can be made with other types of fruit such as apples, pears, maybe even figs, although I haven’t tried figs yet.
Ciliege torta della Nonna
Recipe Summary
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes @ 350º F
Yield: 8 servings
CRUST
2 cups flour
3/4 cups hazel nuts, ground (ground almonds can be substituted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
6 tablespoons water, ice cold
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the pan
Filling
5 amoretti or ladyfingers, crumbled
1 1/2 lbs. dark cherries, fresh or frozen, stones removed
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup currant jelly
CRUST
Place the flour, hazelnuts (or almonds) and baking powder in a bowl. Put the unsalted butter and sugar in a food processor. Pulsate the ingredients until they are fluffy and add the egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it looks like cornmeal. Add 1/2 of the water and process for 30 seconds. Feel the dough; it should stick together, if it doesn’t add the remaining water. Place the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator while you are preparing the filling.
Rub about 1 tablespoon of butter onto a spring form pan. Press 2/3 of the dough on the bottom and up the sides to about 1” of the side of the pan. The remaining dough will be crumbled over the top.
FILLING
Put all the filling ingredients in a bowl and coat the cherries well. Taste for sweetness. The type of cookies that you use will determine if additional sugar is needed. Spread the filling in the prepared crust.
Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the cherry mixture.
Place the tart into the middle of the oven and bake for 1 hour.
SERVING
Release the spring form the pan and allow the tart to cool. Serve the tart warm or room temperature with a spoon full of creme fraiche over the top.
what a beautiful looking tart! thanks for sharing this recipe.
Patricia…how scrumptious this tart cake looks to me right now.
I wouldn’t mind a medium size piece (I am reasonable) with an espresso right now.
I will maybe have to make a very tiny adjustment with the currant jelly and I’m sure to surprise my friends and family with something very different than I’m used to ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
I’m all for making a recipe your own. Whatever adjustment you make let me know, I would like to try it.
Regards,
Patricia
Hello Patricia:
Wow, those look amazing.
It is well known in my circle of friends that I do not “do” desserts! They will be “shocked” to get to see and eat the above amazing (now “mine”) dessert ! Thank you so much for sharing.
Do you think that I can use fresh peach instead of Cherries? We have glut of fresh peaches in VA. but no Cherries.
Mantana
Mantana,
I’ve never made this with peaches, but with apples and I believe other fruits could be used. I think you should give it a try.
Here is another one that I know you can used peaches with or strawberries.
http://turosdolci.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/zuccotto-a-cake-for-all-occasions/
Patricia,
Cherries and crumbles are my weakness! I’ll have to give this a try as soon as I can find some more fresh cherries, we still have some around here if I look hard enough.
-Gina-