Cherry, Almond and Pistachio Tart Recipe
I absolutely love cherry desserts, and this cherry and pistachio almond tart is one of my favorites as soon as the season starts. With its crispy shortcrust pastry, smooth almond and pistachio cream, and juicy, slightly tangy cherries, it’s an absolute treat to enjoy for dessert or as an afternoon snack. This recipe is inspired by the classic French tart amandine, a traditional tart filled with almond cream, similar to frangipane.
This tart is very easy to make and perfectly combines the flavors of pistachio almond cream with juicy cherries.
Along with cherry clafoutis, it’s one of the desserts I often make before cherry season comes to an end.
What might seem a little technical if you’re new to baking is making the sweet shortcrust pastry and lining the tart shell.
But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through everything in detail, with step-by-step instructions for each stage.
Table of Contents
The Recipe in Video
Ingredients:
NB: You’ll find the printable recipe card with US customary at the end of the article.
Sweet shortcrust pastry
I suggest preparing the full quantity and freezing half, so you’ll have it ready for your next tart.
- 250 g all-purpose flour (I used regular flour)
- 150 g very soft butter
- 95 g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 35 g almond flour
- 50 g egg (lightly beaten, then weighed)
- 1 g salt (about 1/3 teaspoon)
- 1 vanilla bean or vanilla powder
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk (20 g)
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream (5 g)
For the almond and pistachio cream:
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g soft butter
- 25 g almond flour
- 25 g pistachio flour (ground pistachios)
- 50 g egg (1 small egg, beaten then weighed)
Topping:
500 g large pitted cherries
Note: You can simply use 50 g of almond flour only, or add 15 g of pistachio paste if you like.
Preparation steps
Prepare the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Cream the soft butter with the sifted powdered sugar. Add the salt, vanilla seeds, and almond flour.
Mix well, scraping down the bottom of the bowl. Incorporate the beaten egg, mix gently with a spatula, then bring everything together using a stand mixer.
Next, add the sifted flour and mix briefly, without kneading or forming a ball, you want to avoid overworking the dough.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and press it down and smear it lightly with the palm of your hand to bring it together evenly.
Form the dough into a ball, divide it in two, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and refrigerate, preferably overnight.
The next day, take the dough out, let it soften slightly, then roll it out to about 3 mm thickness. Line your tart ring with the dough.
Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) with fan (convection mode) or 170°C (340°F) without fan (conventional oven).
You can also skip the blind-baking step if you’re worried the edges might collapse during baking.
Otherwise, once the tart shell is pre-baked, you can fill it directly while still in the tart ring. Alternatively, unmold the shell after baking, let it cool slightly, and smooth the edges with the back of a sieve before filling.
Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the tart shell before adding the almond and pistachio cream.
Note: You can find a detailed step-by-step photo tutorial for the sweet pastry, with strips and bottom technique, here: Sweet Pastry Method, or the classic lining technique in this article: Classic Tart Shell Technique.
Prepare the Almond and Pistachio Cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a spatula), cream the butter with the sugar. Then add the almond and pistachio powders.
Mix gently without whipping, and add the egg in two parts, mixing to incorporate each addition.
Be careful not to whip the mixture to avoid incorporating air, which would cause the cream to puff up in the oven.
Pour the cream over the tart shell and smooth the surface with a spatula. Then arrange the pitted cherries, which have been dried with paper towels, evenly on top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (330°F) convection for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cream is lightly golden. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.
Let the tart cool slightly, then unmold it onto a wire rack.
You can brush a neutral glaze over the top of the tart before decorating it with some pistachios and 3 or 4 cherries.
I preferred to just sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the edges.
This tart is truly delicious, if you love cherries, you will enjoy it!
Other pies you might like
Cherry, Almond and Pistachio Tart Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Sweet shortcrust pastry
- I suggest preparing the full quantity and freezing half so you’ll have it ready for your next tart.
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g very soft butter
- 95 g powdered sugar icing sugar
- 35 g almond flour
- 50 g egg lightly beaten, then weighed
- 1 g salt about 1/3 teaspoon
- 1 vanilla bean or vanilla powder
For the egg wash:
- 20 g egg yolk 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream 5 g
For the almond and pistachio cream:
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g soft butter
- 25 g almond flour
- 25 g pistachio flour ground pistachios
- 50 g egg 1 small egg, beaten then weighed
Topping:
- 500 g large pitted cherries
- Note: You can simply use 50 g of almond flour only or add 15 g of pistachio paste if you like.
PREPARATION
Prepare the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- Cream the soft butter with the sifted powdered sugar. Add the salt, vanilla seeds, and almond flour.
- Mix well, scraping down the bottom of the bowl. Incorporate the beaten egg, mix gently with a spatula, then bring everything together using a stand mixer.
- Next, add the sifted flour and mix briefly, without kneading or forming a ball, you want to avoid overworking the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto your work surface and press it down and smear it lightly with the palm of your hand to bring it together evenly.
- Form the dough into a ball, divide it in two, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and refrigerate, preferably overnight.
- The next day, take the dough out, let it soften slightly, then roll it out to about 3 mm thickness. Line your tart ring with the dough.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) with fan (convection mode) or 170°C (340°F) without fan (conventional oven).
- You can also skip the blind-baking step if you’re worried the edges might collapse during baking.
- Otherwise, once the tart shell is pre-baked, you can fill it directly while still in the tart ring. Alternatively, unmold the shell after baking, let it cool slightly, and smooth the edges with the back of a sieve before filling.
- Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the tart shell before adding the almond and pistachio cream.
Prepare the Almond and Pistachio Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a spatula), cream the butter with the sugar. Then add the almond and pistachio powders.
- Mix gently without whipping, and add the egg in two parts, mixing to incorporate each addition.
- Be careful not to whip the mixture to avoid incorporating air, which would cause the cream to puff up in the oven.
- Pour the cream over the tart shell and smooth the surface with a spatula. Then arrange the pitted cherries, which have been dried with paper towels, evenly on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (330°F) convection for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cream is lightly golden. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Let the tart cool slightly, then unmold it onto a wire rack.
- You can brush a neutral glaze over the top of the tart before decorating it with some pistachios and 3 or 4 cherries.
- I preferred to just sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the edges.
- This tart is truly delicious, if you love cherries, you will enjoy it!
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your comments.