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Recipe Detail Page
Linzer Tart with Dried Cherries and Cherry Preserve
Autumn 2006
To grind hazelnuts, toast nuts at 350ºF (180ºC) for 8 minutes or until they smell toasty. To remove skins, rub hazelnuts between 2 tea towels. Discard skins and grind nuts in a food processor or with a nut mill. This gives a nuttier taste and deeper flavour. Make the tart 2 days ahead of time and crème fraîche about a week ahead. Use the best cherry preserves you can find (try the Swiss or French brands). Using the dried cherries with the preserves gives a much deeper cherry flavour.
Serves 8
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) Chinese five-spice powder, optional
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
2¼ cups (550 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ cups (375 mL) ground hazelnuts
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Filling
1½ cups (375 mL) cherry preserve
1 cup (250 mL) dried cherries
1. Place butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and lemon rind in a food processor. Pulse to combine.
2. Add flour and hazelnuts and pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Add egg yolks and vanilla and pulse until mixture begins to clump together. Scrape mixture out of food processor onto a floured board and combine into a ball. Mixture may be slightly sticky.
3. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
4. Place about 2/3 of dough into a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with a removable base. Pat dough into base of pan and up sides. Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 9-inch (23-cm) circle. Put both in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until firm.
5. Combine cherry preserves with dried cherries. Spread into cooled tart pan and return to refrigerator until needed.
6. Remove sheet of pastry from refrigerator. Peel off plastic wrap and place pastry on a board. Cut into twelve ½-inch (1-cm) strips. Place 6 strips over filling, evenly spaced, starting with the shortest ones and pressing ends into sides. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally across the first strips to form a diamond-shaped lattice.
7. Bake for 50 minutes or until top is golden, filling is bubbling and crust is baked. Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from tart pan.
8. Cut into 8 slices and serve with crème fraîche (recipe follows).
Serves 8
Crème Fraîche
¼ cup (50 mL) buttermilk
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
1. Whisk together buttermilk and whipping cream in a glass measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on counter for 24 to 48 hours or until thickened. Refrigerate. The mixture keeps for 2 weeks.
