Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Cherry Marzipan Tart

Kirsi-martsipanipirukas
Photo updated in October 2010

The cherry season is in full swing in Estonia. Every market stall sells both sweet and sour cherries - the latter being more easily available these days. I love using sour cherries in various cakes, much more than sweet cherries which are often too bland in flavour. Here's a nice recipe with sour cherries and sweet marzipan and crunchy flaked almonds. You can substitute sweet cherries, but I'd use some more lemon zest to spike things up a bit.

Cherry Marzipan Tart
(Martsipani-kirsipirukas)
Serves 6 to 8

Cherry Marzipan Tart / Kirsi-martsipanikook

Pastry:
175 g plain/AP flour
3 Tbsp caster sugar
0.5 tsp salt
125 g cold butter
1 egg

Filling:
200 g marzipan, grated
0.5 lemon (grated zest only)
300 g pitted sour cherries
3 large eggs
250 g creme fraiche or sour cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30 g sliced almonds

For the pastry, cut flour, salt, sugar and butter into fine crumbs (it's easiest when using your food processor). Add the egg and press the pastry into a ball. Pressing with your fingers, line a 25 cm (10 inch) pie form with the pastry. Put into a fridge for 30 minutes to rest, then blind bake at 200 C for 15 minutes.
Spread the grated marzipan and lemon zest onto the pastry base. Top with cherries*
Whisk sour cream, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until combined, then drizzle over the cherries. Top with sliced almonds.
Bake at 200 Celsius for about 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is cooked and the almond topping light golden brown.
Cool before cutting into slices.

* If using frozen cherries, then defreeze them first and drain thoroughly.


Cherry Marzipan Tart / Kirsi-martsipanikook

17 comments:

Brie: Le Grand Fromage said...

Your tart looks so scrumptious! This would qualify as a 'dangerous' food item for me - I doubt it would last long enough for anyone else to enjoy.

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

That looks f a n t a s t i c !

Alanna Kellogg said...

Oh so pretty, I still have one small package of sour cherries left in the freezer from last year -- maybe this is what happens to them?

Cook said...

Pille, thank you so much for taking the time to put this recipe up here- I actually went to the library and got an Estonian -English dictionary to translate a number of your recipes. They all look so good that I can't sit still till I'll try them! Thank you again!

Claudia said...

Your recipe looks delicious. I wonder if I could find frozen sour cherries here? Must look. Or, you can send me some and I'll send you White Pineapple!

ChichaJo said...

Your tart looks so yummy Pille! There are cherries in the markets here too but so expensive because they're imported...but if I do splurge I'll keep this tart in mind :)

Meeta K. Wolff said...

pille - what a combination. marzipan and cherries! this recipe is an amazing one!

Triin said...

Looks GOOD!!!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Oh, Pille! That is so wonderful and pretty! I have yet to try cherries with marzipan, this is dreamy!

Kristopher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Siri said...

This looks AMAZING! Thank god for cherry season, huh? I love the cherry/almond combination and adding marzipan just puts it over the top!

Kristopher said...

I had a good feeling about this one, and it turned out absolutely great, perfect combination of sweet and sour - though I am always a sucker for anything with almonds in it. (As a child my favorite cookie was gazelle horns etc)

Anonymous said...

This sweet dish is looking very sweet and tasty thanks to share with us this delicious recipe.

Orangy - The Sweet Sour Tangy Taste of Life

Anonymous said...

would really love to try

Unknown said...

Also worked well with sour Estonian plums. Can't wait to try it with cherries.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone translated these measurements into U.S. cups and such? Thank you!!! It looks so awesome, I'm dying to try it with blackberries.

Anonymous said...

I can only find dried sour cherries at this time of year; do you think those would work?