Thick As Thieves.
Two of my very favourite things are in season right now. Cherries and lilacs. To celebrate I thought I'd combine the two.
I made you a Chocolate Hazelnut Cherry Tart and planted my very own lilac bush.
The latter was no easy task. Let me explain.
First you must know that you should consider me a frugal person. Not cheap. Frugal. If I can spend little to no money on anything I'll go for it. Who wouldn't, right? There are things I do not scrimp on. Cream cheese for one – why anyone would put anything other than Philadelphia in their mouths is beyond me. Eyeglasses – Gucci, Armani, Versace yes please. Laptops – sorry, but I'm not going to let an off brand hard drive anywhere near all my photos, videos and documents for fear they might spontaneously combust.
Pretty much everything else is up for grabs. All the clothes hanging in my closet were either very reasonably priced or very much on sale. I compare prices on flour. All the boxes in my pantry are generic brand or the next best thing.
So you can understand why I was not about to spend money on something like a lilac bush when they grow free and wild. I was also not about to be caught cloak and dagger in my neighbour's backyard absconding with their precious lilacs, pail and trowel in hand. So we took a drive. A long drive. And wouldn't you know, the further we got outside the city the less and less prevalent the tiny little flowers became. We drove down muddy roads, over potholes and through neighbourhoods we had no business being in. No luck and no lilacs.
So after all that we ended up spending less money on a lilac bush at the garden center than we spent on gas to fuel our little adventure. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a lilac thief.
Biting into this delicious tart makes me feel loads better though. At least I have that.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cherry Tart
Makes 1 12 inch tart
Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell.
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 hazelnuts, blanched, toasted and ground fine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 egg
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp hazelnuts, blanched, toasted and chopped
1 cup sweet cherries, pitted
Note: To make it easier to grind the hazelnuts blend them in a food processor with the powdered sugar. That way they stay dry and won't ball up.
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In a food processor pulse together the flour, cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, powdered sugar and salt. Barely cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg a little bit at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. The dough will appear granular at first and after a few 10 second pulses it will clump together.
Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it ever so slightly so it holds together. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When you're ready to roll out the tart shell take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for about 10 minutes to take a bit of the chill off. Butter a 12 inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and set it aside. Sandwich the dough between 2 large sheets of wax paper and roll it out into a 15 inch circle. Rolling it out with wax paper helps you avoid sticky dough, messy flour, reduces cracks and makes it easy to turn it over into the tart pan. Once the sheet of dough is centered in the prepared tart pan press it into the corners of the pan and fold the excess dough back over the sides to create a nice strong double edge crust, making sure to keep the dough level with the edge of the pan. Pierce the dough a few times with a fork and freeze it for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the center. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit it buttered side down tightly against the inside of the tart shell. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake it for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake it for another 10 minutes. Transfer the tart to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.
To make the ganache put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it aside. In a small sauce pan combine the cream and butter and heat it on medium heat. When it comes to just a boil pour it over the chocolate, cover it and let it sit for 3 – 5 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate until it all melts and you're left with a smooth pudding like consistency. Pour it into the cooled tart shell and smooth it out with a spatula. Top it with cherries and chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!
June 10th, 2011 - 00:49
Wow… That looks positively amazing! I adore this recipe, and your pictures never cease to amaze me! Great job!
June 10th, 2011 - 01:13
Beautiful photos, wow! That cherry tart is outstanding – I want me some of that. And the idea of you stalking the countryside looking for stray lilacs is too funny!
June 10th, 2011 - 01:38
Haha stalking. That gives an amusing visual to the story.
June 10th, 2011 - 03:06
Holy cow Lindsey! this is beyond beautiful. I love your details in laying out the cherries and dusting the cocoa. The photos are gorgeous and I hope your lilacs bring you as much joy as I had reading this awesome blog.
June 10th, 2011 - 04:40
This tart is just AMAZING! i wish i could whip up something that looks as beautiful as that.
June 10th, 2011 - 10:43
I’m sure you could! It’s impressive but really it wasn’t too hard.
June 10th, 2011 - 05:19
This tart had my mouth watering all over my computer! LOL… and funny re: lilac thief. Lilac were always the first sign of summer in Massachusetts. And my mom would put them in vases all around the house!
June 10th, 2011 - 07:20
That filling looks irresistible!
June 10th, 2011 - 07:32
Ooo, I love lilacs, they remind me of my grams house. I’m sure your neighbor wouldn’t have noticed if their lilac bush was suddenly in your yard
Beautiful tart as well, love all that hazelnut.
June 10th, 2011 - 07:52
What gorgeous pictures! Love all of them… The recipe sounds pretty fabulous too! The consistency of that filling looks incredible! Thanks for sharing
June 10th, 2011 - 08:24
One of the things I love most about my backyard is the ancient gnarled lilac that towers over my patio… though this year, we didn’t get nearly as many blooms as usual. I will just have to live vicariously though your photos instead.
And speaking of photos, these are so mouthwateringly gorgeous, I can barely resist the urge to luck my screen. (In fact, if I wasn’t at work and surrounded by coworkers, I’d probably try…) Swoon.
June 10th, 2011 - 10:59
Thank you so much Isabelle! That’s the effect I was going for.
About your lilac bush, you might want to try pruning it a bit this year and next year it should yield more blooms. If lilacs get overgrown or two tall they stop producing flowers. Technically you’re supposed to prune all the stems with blooms that have turned brown that season otherwise the flowers grow higher and higher until there are no more.
June 10th, 2011 - 10:12
Looks so good and your photos are fantastic! I’m totally in cherry mode right now. I want them in and on everything!
June 10th, 2011 - 10:51
Thank you so much! I’m definitely in a cherry mode too.
June 10th, 2011 - 11:17
Such a beautiful tart. Lovely job.
June 10th, 2011 - 11:56
The tart looks fabulous! Lilacs are my favorite too!
June 10th, 2011 - 15:02
Wow, what a stunning tart! And I love the visual of some of the cherries with the stem on still. Looks super delicious!
June 10th, 2011 - 16:59
Thanks Kristen! I really like the stems and I feel like they don’t look like cherries without them so I thought it was important for the photo.
July 19th, 2011 - 07:57
I was wondering about the cherries with the stems as well. Were able to bake the cherries with the stem? I would have thought the stem would have turned dark brown. Also, did you pit the cherries that still have the stem? Otherwise, there might be an unpleasant surprise for the diner.
July 19th, 2011 - 10:10
Hi Joe! The cherries are actually not baked in the tart so you don’t have to worry about the stems turning brown. And no I didn’t pit the stemmed cherries, but I made sure to warn everyone. They were just for visual impact.
June 10th, 2011 - 15:36
Came over from foodbuzz (buzzed this btw) absolutely stunning tart! And I’m completely jealous of your lilacs. I not only want but will say I need them in my life. Maybe next year. I haven’t seen any anywhere lately.
June 10th, 2011 - 17:00
Hi Rachel! Thanks for stopping by and thank for the buzz!
June 10th, 2011 - 16:08
I can’t wait to get cherries! This tart (and your photos) are absolutely gorgeous!
June 10th, 2011 - 17:38
What a great tart! Your pictures are beautiful! Hazelnuts and chocolate…yum!
June 10th, 2011 - 18:22
Lindsey just found you through Foodbuzz. What a lovely blog! Your photos make me happy. And that tart makes me hungry.
June 10th, 2011 - 18:26
Hi Tori! Thanks for visiting.
June 10th, 2011 - 21:07
Absolutely gorgeous. Those cherries and all that chocolate. Oh my! Oh my!
June 10th, 2011 - 21:58
Lindsey,
Cherries are my favorite summer fruit closely followed by blueberries..
I simply enjoyed this post, loved all the pictures especially the cherry diptych, you’ve managed to get a neat symmetry in them (or is it a single shot that you’ve turned into two?). The overhead shot is so luscious and inviting and I can’t miss mentioning that bite in the pie (last shot)..
Lilacs are pretty pretty too..
June 10th, 2011 - 22:09
Thanks Radhika! Cherries are my favourite fruit followed by peaches. So glad you liked the cherry diptych and it was originally two photos.
June 10th, 2011 - 23:33
When I first started gardening I noticed this prairie (actually an empty house lot- I’m originally from Chicago) and there were many beautiful tall spikey flowers-pink, purple, white. So, I dug some up (while my kids hid in the car…they never really appreciated some of our “field trips”). Well, turns out these beautiful flowers are a very, very, very invasive weed. Surprise! and last year I decided to prune back my beautiful lilac bush cause it was getting too high for me to cut…guess I pruned at the wrong time cuz I didn’t get any blooms this year : ( .
June 10th, 2011 - 23:36
Aww that sucks! It’s funny how one person’s weed is another person’s theft-worthy flower.
June 11th, 2011 - 00:34
Chocolate and cherry, for me, is the perfect combination. The crust on that tart looks amazing. Lovely photos too.
June 11th, 2011 - 01:29
I am so disappointed to have forgotten to buy cherries today. I’ll have to go out again tomorrow because I am dying to try this.
June 11th, 2011 - 10:24
I hope you love it as much as we did Felice.
June 11th, 2011 - 02:12
Deliziosa ♥
June 11th, 2011 - 09:37
You really take some of the most beautiful photographs. I look forward to your posts so much just to see what pics you have in store for us. This tart sounds amazing and looks to rich and wonderful too. (ps, I dont have lilacs, but I have a ton of other flowers you could always come steal from my garden – I have no clue what Im doing with them anyway.)
June 11th, 2011 - 20:54
This kinda stuff makes me wish I could bake
June 12th, 2011 - 02:39
I love this post and I has included it in my weekly selection, you can see it at
http://blocderecetas.blogspot.com/2011/06/mis-favoritas-semana-23-2011.html
I hope you to like it!!
June 12th, 2011 - 11:26
Thanks Salomé!
June 13th, 2011 - 02:12
The pie looks so good! I’m imagining the taste right now…
June 13th, 2011 - 09:11
I’m not sure I can find the words to express how amazing your tart looks like. Pure perfection, maybe?
June 13th, 2011 - 09:26
Thank you Claudie!
June 13th, 2011 - 11:29
That is hilarious! I love lilacs too… I grew with a GIGANTIC bush growing in our backyard… I’m not even kidding, the bush had an inner trunk that was as big around as a mature tree! The smell of lilacs will always remind me of home for that reason. But who knew they’d be so hard to find!
And I’m with Claudie… I think perfection might be the only word to describe how ah-mazing your tart looks. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t care for cherries.
June 13th, 2011 - 13:16
This looks amazing!!! I’m going to try this recipe this week!! Love cherries and I’m always looking new recipes.
Beautiful
June 13th, 2011 - 18:08
Lindsey, your photos as always look amazing! I love the combination of flavors in this tart! It sounds delicious with the nutty hazelnuts, the tart sweet cherries and chocolate! Delicious…and very beautiful, almost too pretty to eat…. but I would still devour it!
June 13th, 2011 - 20:56
Thank you Amy! That’s exactly the effect I was going for!
June 14th, 2011 - 10:14
This looks fantastic!
June 14th, 2011 - 10:27
Would using a springform pan and just not filling it very high be a terrible substitution?
June 14th, 2011 - 15:26
No actually that could work, Jo. The tart pan makes it easy to get a nice clean top but if you’re careful you can get the same effect with a spring form pan.
June 15th, 2011 - 00:15
I intend to make this soon and was studying the recipe. I think you’ve missed the egg(s) in the ingredient list. How many is need, please?
Thank you
June 15th, 2011 - 00:48
Ah thank you for pointing that out to me Krisz! It’s one egg and I’ve changed the recipe now.
June 15th, 2011 - 10:54
Oh. I read this in my feedreader and didn’t realize the cherry bowl pictures lined up! It looks so cute! I love that!
June 15th, 2011 - 11:10
Dang feedreader! My mortal enemy!
June 15th, 2011 - 19:03
Goodness, this looks amazing. I will definitely be trying the recipe this summer! Thank you!!
June 15th, 2011 - 21:27
Is the 1/4 cup hazelnut measurement before or after they’re ground? Thnks!
June 15th, 2011 - 22:49
After.
June 18th, 2011 - 08:56
Hi thanks for such a great recipe! I just finished trying this out however my ganache is a bit more loose than yours looks in the picture. Did you put your tart in the refrigerator after finishing it?
June 18th, 2011 - 09:16
Hi Emma! Yes I did refrigerate it to set the ganache.
June 25th, 2011 - 17:37
Wow, this tart looks amazing, thanks for sharing, I’m saving to my TO DO file.
March 15th, 2012 - 11:36
Wow this is so beautiful! I love chocolate with cherries and lilacs are my very favorite flower … I pinned it to the Best of Food Blogger Recipes board here: http://pinterest.com/bachelorsgrill/best-food-blogger-cocoa/
March 15th, 2012 - 12:57
Thank you so much, Anne and for the kind pin!
April 9th, 2012 - 22:22
LOVE the choco cherry tart!!
May 25th, 2012 - 02:24
beautiful… no comment!!!!!!
one Big LIKE!!!!!!
June 10th, 2012 - 17:49
I found this post though Pinterest. The photo was so beautiful that I just had to come here to read the recipe! Love it! And love your site
.
I would like to invite you to share this post (and your other posts
) on a new photo based recipe sharing site that launched in May. The idea is simple: all recipe photographs are published within minutes of submission. And, of course, the images link back to the author’s site.
It’s called RecipeNewZ (with Z) – http://recipenewz.com
I hope you get a chance to visit and to share some of your delicious posts with our viewers. It would be a pleasure to have you on board
June 11th, 2012 - 09:43
Thank you very much! I will check out RecipeNewz next time I post something.
June 26th, 2012 - 15:26
I’m so happy I just found you! Your pictures are absolutely stunning and this tart looks amazing. I’m going to make chocolate cherry brownies in the next day or so but to be honest, this looks way better.
June 26th, 2012 - 15:33
Thank you so much Erin! I’m glad you stopped by!
June 26th, 2012 - 16:45
This is absolutely gorgeous! I have a ton of cherries that I would love to use in a baked good and I discovered recently that I enjoy cherries and hazelnut together. Awesome recipe!
June 26th, 2012 - 17:05
Thank you Julia! Isn’t it the best combo ever? Love cherries and hazelnuts!
June 27th, 2012 - 12:02
errmahgerd!cherries!
August 10th, 2012 - 15:27
Lindsey! Just made this & it is AMAZING! your instructions are perfect & your photos so inspiring! Thank you thank you thank you.
Quick question: do you know how long I can refridgerate it? Made it tonight for a party tomorrow so can I keep it in the fridge overnight?
Cant wait to follow your blog …. beautiful!
xx
August 10th, 2012 - 16:50
Hi Sue! So glad the tart worked out for you! You can definitely refrigerate it overnight or few a couple days if needed. Enjoy!
September 9th, 2012 - 19:27
Does the chocolate need to set after pouring it into the shell?
September 9th, 2012 - 20:03
Yes Wendy, it should be refrigerated at least 15 – 30 minutes before serving.
February 25th, 2013 - 18:16
So glad I stumbled across your blog. Your photos are beautiful and your food looks incredible!
February 25th, 2013 - 18:21
Thanks Ashley! I’m glad you found me too.