Fresh Cherry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

Zest of one lime or lemon (1 teaspoon) (preferably organic)
1 stick (4 oz) salted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg white
1/3 cup almond meal or almond flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
One (8 ounce) block of full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature)
3 tablespoons superfine (caster) sugar (or blitz granulated sugar in a food processor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
2 pounds fresh cherries (pitted)
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Prep Time40mins
Cook Time30mins
Servings8

Instructions

Make the almond pastry

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Using an electric hand mixer, in a medium bowl, whisk together the zest, butter, and confectioners' sugar until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the egg white. Mix in the almond meal and then finally the flour. Keep mixing until it just starts to clump together, about 1 minute more.

Press the dough together with your hands to form a ball, then place it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to be slightly bigger than the size of your tart pan. TESTER TIP: If you find the dough is too stick to work with, pop it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling out.

Remove the top layer of plastic. Using the plastic underneath to support the pastry, lift it up and flip it over onto the tart pan.

Gently press into all the corners, then remove the top layer of plastic. Use a knife to trim off the excess pastry from around the edge. Line with parchment paper and place ceramic baking weights on top of the paper. TESTER TIP: If you've got extra pastry leftover, bake it in muffin pan wells for individual tarts.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and baking weights, then continue to bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cool completely in the pan.

Make the cream cheese filling

Using an electric hand mixer, in a large bowl, whip the cream cheese and sugar together until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Pour in the vanilla and half of the cream and whisk well. Add the remaining cream and continue to whisk until thick and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Remove the pastry shell from the pan and place on a serving platter. Mound the filling in the center and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.

Make the fresh cherry topping

Add a layer of cherries neatly in rows to cover the filling. Then stack a second layer of cherries on top.

In a small microwave safe bowl, heat the jam in the microwave until it is runny, about 30 seconds. Use a pastry brush to brush a layer of hot jam over the cherries. Chill until ready to serve.