Try this Cherry & Vanilla Bean Tart made with simple Italian pastry is a perfect balance of tart and sweet. Serve at breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert.
I am not the biggest fan of cherries, but my kids and hubby love them! In fact, a favorite event this summer has been who can spit the cherry seed the furthest. Yes, I have 3 young boys, 4 if you include my husband, and two little girls that well can push their brothers to the limit and almost, just almost outspit them when it comes to a cherry seed spitting contest.
I was seeding some cherries for my 3-year-old and as the juice was staining my hands, I thought this would just make an excellent pie filling. So I boiled together some cherries and a vanilla bean and made such a tasty and beautiful jam/filling. This would be well served on bread, in a pie, or, as I did it, in a homemade pastry, making a fabulous tart. This tart can be enjoyed for breakfast or add a dollop of ice cream and serve for dessert, either way, you won’t be disappointed.
Enjoy this original recipe inspired by my cherry seed-spitting family. Happy cherry season!
More Cherry Recipes
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Cherry & Vanilla Bean Tart
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- pinch salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 cups fresh cherries seeds removed
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2-3 tablespoons natural cane turbinado sugar you can use regular white granulated sugar too
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a medium mix bowl add flour, sugar and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl or cup, beat together egg yolks and water until well blended.
- Add unsalted butter to flour mixture, using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles, with some small pea-sized pieces.
- Gradually mix in the egg mixture using a fork. It will be crumbly, use your hands to bring it together, it will moisten and the mixture will start to clump together. If the mixture is still too crumbly and not holding together when pressed, add an additional teaspoon of cold water. *Note this is not a wet dough, you do not want to add too much water.*
- Shape dough into a thick disk, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator while you make the cherry vanilla bean filling.
- Slice the vanilla bean in half, remove seeds and place the seeds in a medium sauce pan, add the vanilla bean stem too. Add cherries, water, sugar, and cornstarch, stir to combine and heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly and remove vanilla bean stem. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll out into a large rectangle, cut 6 rectangles from the dough, or whatever shape you desire. Add about 2 tablespoons of the filling to the center of one side the pastry, fold over the other half and press the edges, you can use a fork for texture if you would like. Brush the pastry with the melted butter and sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar.
- Using a metal spatula carefully place on to prepared pan, add remaining tarts and place in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool to serve later or you may also serve immediately.
Kids review: They loved this, not a big surprise since they love cherries.
you are making me wish I was not on a diet, this looks amazing and so easy to make! I have to make this for my kids!
That does look very delicious. My MIL bought me a load of cherries the other day and I had no idea what to do with them. I might give this a try!
Hope you do! xo San
This looks so delicious!! 🙂 Yummy!
Thanks Nancy. xo San