One of the sweet signs of summer is cool, fresh cherries that only make a big appearance in late spring through summer. Starting with the California fruit in mid-April followed by the Washington state cherries that will keep us going into August, now is the time to embrace the fruit’s natural affinity for chocolate, which is perfectly expressed in a luscious cherry and chocolate tart.
This tart is like a big truffle with a luscious cherry and chocolate ganache filling and ripe cherries on top, says Lori Longbotham, cookbook author and recipe developer, who contributed this to Real Food. This dessert is a good make-ahead option as you need to refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving (or you could refrigerate overnight). For a bit of flair, it’s topped off with a cherry on the stem, and you just might want to garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, too.
Cherry and Chocolate Truffle Tart
Makes 10 servings
1 (9-ounce) box chocolate wafers, broken into large pieces
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups ripe dark sweet cherries
1 cup heavy cream
14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. Pulse wafers in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until well combined. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared tart pan and press evenly into bottom and up the sides. Bake until crust is dry and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
3. Meanwhile, set aside 10 cherries on the stem for garnish. Pit remaining cherries and chop finely in a food processor.
4. Heat cream and chopped cherries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in chocolate and salt. Pour through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour chocolate mixture into crust and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Refrigerate cherries reserved for garnish.
6. To serve, remove side of pan, cut tart into wedges, and garnish each wedge with a cherry on the stem.
Nutrition info Cherry and Chocolate Tart (Per Serving): Calories 484 (322 from Fat); Fat 36g (Sat.21g); Chol 51mg; Sodium 191mg; Carb 45g; Fiber 5g; Protein 5g
