I love cherries, one of my favourite fruit, and they are almost addictive! It’s almost impossible to only eat one! Luckily they also seem to be really good for you… containing niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin,, thiamin, vitamins a and c, sodium, potassium, calcium,, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, carotene-ß, carotene-a and lutein-zeaxanthin – whtever that is!
I was thinking about cherries, not because it is the season for them, but in The national Mark’s little cookery book there is an april recipe… which surprised me since it is a seasonal cookery book, but in fact the National Mark was promoting home-grown and home-produced produce, and also a healthy and varied diet. This was in the late 1920’s when the nation’s health was being taken serious.
The cherry tart in this recipe has tinned cherries and a home-made crème pâtissière, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t adapt it for fresh or frozen ones!
- 1 tin of cherries, drained (or as many fresh or frozen as seems right! I can give you no better estimate unless I buy a tin of cherries and weigh the fruit!)
- puff or short crust pastry baked blind in a pie/tart/flan dish
- 3 egg yolks
- 1½ oz flour
- 3½ oz castor sugar
- 1 pint milk, boiled and kept warm
- icing sugar to glaze
To make the crème pâtissière:
- beat the egg yolks with the castor sugar until very pale
- add 1 oz sifted flour gradually
- gradually beat in the warm milk
- cook using a bain marie, double saucepan or basin over a pan of hot water (but not touching the water) until it is thick and has come to a boil
- add the vanilla and leave to cool
To assemble the tart:
- mix the cherries with the crème pâtissière – you may not need all of the crème, so add it to the cherries rather than the other way round
- spoon into cool baked pastry case
- sprinkle with icing sugar and brown under the grill
Lois Elsden 