Bake

Cherry Crumb Tart

by:
June  3, 2017
4.4
5 Ratings
Cherry Crumb Tart
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 8 to 10
Author Notes

The French take their cherries seriously. When it's Le Temps de Cerises, or "cherry time"—the name is the title of an 1866 Paris Commune song—the declaration shows up everywhere, even in fashion. If you love cherries, there's no time like Le Temps des Cerises to find cherry-dotted scarves, skirts, shirts, ties, dresses, and even cherry pom-poms for your hair. And, of course, there are cherries in the market—but the season is short.

One June my husband, Michael, and I were in Alsace, where cherries—red and sweet, sweet and sour—are abundant. The day we arrived, we stopped at a roadside stand and bought big, fat red cherries and lovely pink and cream Rainiers (like Queen Anne cherries). They were the best we had ever tasted. The next day we drove around trying to find the stand again, and when we did, the Rainiers were gone. Not sold out. Gone. And it seemed to be the end of their run everywhere in Alsace.

When we got back to Paris, there were no Rainiers, but there were plenty of chubby red cherries that I turned into this tart, which has an almond cream based flavored with Alsace's favorite eau-de-vie, kirsch. And, since Alsace is the land of streusel, I finished the tart with a crumb topping. The tart was so good—and Michael loved it so much—that I made it again and again, until the market was out of cherries and it was le temps for peaches.

A word on the cherries: I like to make the tart with whole pitted cherries. I love the look of the full rounds. Instead of using a cherry pitter, you can pit the cherries with a chopstick—just push it straight through the fruit. Or use halved cherries, pitting them after you halve them.

And a word on shape: If you'd like to make a square tart, use a 9- to 9 1/2-inch square pan with a removable bottom. The proportions of filling and topping are the same for both square and round tarts.

Storing: I think this tart is best served at room temperature on the day it is made, but my husband disagrees. As much as he likes it just made, he really likes it after it's spent a night in the refrigerator. He's not wrong about the chill—the chart is very good cold. So, if you'd like, you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Reprinted from Baking Chez Moi (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2014). —Dorie Greenspan

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the streusel:
  • 1/3 cup (67 grams) sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
  • 3/4 cup (102 grams) all-purpose flour
  • up to 1/4 teaspoons teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
  • 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces; 85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the filling:
  • 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces; 85 grams) cold unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (132 grams) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (75 grams) almond or hazelnut flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon kirsch or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 partially baked 9 to 9 1/2-inch tart crust made with Sweet Tart Dough
  • 1 pound (454 grams) cherries, pitted
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
  • Crème fraîche, for serving (optional)
Directions
  1. For the streusel:
  2. Put the sugar in a medium bowl. If you're using the orange zest, sprinkle it over the sugar and work the two ingredients together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
  3. Add the flour, salt, and cardamom, if using, and mix everything together by running the ingredients through your fingers. Drop in the butter and squeeze and rub the butter into the mixture until it's sandy. If you press a little streusel together, you'll get lumps, which is just what you want.
  4. Drizzle the vanilla over the streusel and toss, squeeze, and rub to distribute. Cover the bowl and chill the streusel until needed; the crumbs are best used cold.
  5. You can make the streusel up to 1 week ahead. Pack it into an airtight container and keep it refrigerated.
  1. For the filling:
  2. You can make the filling in the food processor, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for a minute or two more. Add the nut flour and cornstarch and beat until the mixture is smooth once again. Drop in the egg and beat for a minute or so, until it is thoroughly incorporated. Finally, beat in the kirsch or the vanilla. You can use the filling now, but it's best if you can give it at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. The filling can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
  3. Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 350° F. Place the tart pan with the partially baked crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  4. Using a short offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the filling evenly over the crust. Top with the cherries. You should have enough cherries to just about complete cover the filling.
  5. Bake the tart for about 45 minutes, or until the filling is lightly colored—it won't be firm—and puckered up around the cherries. If you've used whole cherries, the tart will look tufted.
  6. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and sprinkle the top of the tart with the streusel. It's nice to have a bumpy topping, so pinch the streusel into nubbins as you take it out of the bowl. Gently pat the streusel down.
  7. Bake the tart for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crumbs are a beautiful golden brown. You don't have to worry about overbaking the filling, so keep the tart in the oven until the top is just the color you want. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool to room temperature.
  8. Before serving, dust the tart with confectioners' sugar, if you're using it. Serve with crème fraîche, if you'd like.
  9. I think this tart is best served at room temperature the day it's made, but my husband disagrees. As much as he likes it just made, he really likes it after it's spent a night in the refrigerator. He's not wrong about the chill—the tart is very good cold. So if you'd like, you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day.
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Dorie Greenspan
With the publication her 14th book, Baking with Dorie, New York Times bestselling author Dorie Greenspan marks her thirtieth anniversary as a cookbook author. She has won five James Beard Awards for her cookbooks and journalism and was inducted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. A columnist for the New York Times Magazine and the author of the xoxoDorie newsletter on Bulletin, Dorie was recently awarded an Order of Agricultural Merit from the French government for her outstanding writing on the foods of that country. She lives in New York City, Westbrook, Connecticut, and Paris. You can find Dorie on Instagram, Facebook, Bulletin and her website,

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12 Reviews

Sarah
Sarah August 6, 2022
Be sure to check your crust carefully, mine got overdone towards the end of the first bake (because I par-baked it beforehand). I should've thought about this but didn't! Otherwise a beautiful tart
 
Alma D.
Alma D. June 7, 2021
Well despite having a hard time figuring out your recipe, it came out very good according to my husband. I haven’t tasted because I stopped to say thanks. Our son just moved to a new place and it has a cherry tree! The ones I used today was his first harvest! I still think it would be less stressful for someone who would try to make it for the first time if you would make each step more plain. I’m an old Home Economics Teacher so my expectations were high! Looks like my berry supply will be intact for a while! Thanks

 
Alma D.
Alma D. June 7, 2021
Hey Dori, I think this is the most confusing recipe I’ve ever followed on Food 52!
After pitting the cherries, making the bottom? And the topping? When I finally ( after two hours in the kitchen, including pitting the cherries,) looked at the picture and completed the recipe according to what drew me to this recipe in the first place! When I finish cleaning up and take the recipe out of the oven, I’ll come back and let you know what my first Cherry Crumble looks like and more important taste like. Alma
 
granjan
granjan July 7, 2017
My husband says this is his new favorite dessert! And usually he favors pastry cream things. I think it's a little sweet. Will have to try with sour cherries, although the season is SO short and they are so expensive.
 
jennyfenny
jennyfenny June 11, 2017
I made this recipe some time ago with a jar of Morello cherries from Trader Joe's, I really liked this recipe. I used almond extract in place of the Kirsch. I remember it being a little extra work but completely worth it. The only thing that has kept me from making it again is that I will want to eat all of it.
 
peanut B.
peanut B. June 7, 2017
hi dorie,
do you think this would go well with sabayon?
 
Sarah
Sarah June 7, 2017
Same question, different reason - I have a nut allergy!
 
barb48
barb48 June 6, 2017
There's one in every crowd, so I'll be it. Any subs for almond or hazelnut flour? It's not an ingredient I'd ever use again, so too cheap to buy it just for this recipe.
 
JaniceB
JaniceB June 11, 2017
Barb48, just grind up some. Launched almonds and make your own! I used to do this before almond flour was readily available.
 
JaniceB
JaniceB June 11, 2017
Blanched almonds, not "launched". Lol
 
Sarah
Sarah June 12, 2017
any no-nut substitutes for people who have nut allergies?
 
julia B.
julia B. June 28, 2017
Sarah....This is basically a frangipane recipe, the classic French nut creme often used to line tart shells underneath a fruit topping. While using ground nuts or nut flours is the identifiable part of frangipane ~ many recipes use a tablespoon or two or three of all purpose flour, cornstarch, or both (as well as some ground nuts)...it is made to puff a bit by the egg...and with the creamed butter and sugar comprises the soft "cookie like" base. I think you could substitute some flour - while leaving out the ground nuts- perhaps experiment with a hearty flour like spelt, whole wheat or even busckwheat (I would use a larger amount of all purpose and add one part of the hearty flour)....and add some Almond extract, or if you're sensitive to this as well, try another classic addition like a tablespoon or two of Cognac, brandy, or liqueur. Cream butter and sugar to incorporate air, add egg and beat til fluffy, then liquid such as cognac etc, then fold in your flour(S). I think this would work and well worth experimenting with !