Sour Cherry or Cranberry or Blueberry Oatmeal Tart

The tart shell is like a giant oatmeal cookie. The recipe began as a blueberry oatmeal tart because the garden had eight very productive blueberry bushes. A couple seasons later, the Montmorency sour cherry trees reached fruiting size, and the sour cherry alternative became the dominant tart. The cranberry version arrived after Thanksgiving 2022.

For the shell:

1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1 tsp. sherry)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. rolled oats
1/4 cup finely chopped whole almonds

Use a stand mixer with a paddle. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Really go at it, pausing to scrape the bowl and paddle. Add the vanilla or sherry, salt and cinnamon, and beat to combine well. Add the flour, rolled oats and almonds, mixing only to combine. Do not overbeat. (Using a wooden spoon for this last step would also work.) Press the dough into a six-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from wrap and fit it into a 9-inch tart. Put the dough-filled tart pan into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove from freezer and pre-bake in preheated 400-degree oven (375 for convection oven) until lightly golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, gently push down any parts that have puffed up, and allow to cool slightly. While it is baking, prepare the filling.

The Sour Cherry Version

This version dates from the summer of 2008, when the Montmorency cherry trees suddenly produced enough fruit to fill the freezer a month before the blueberries were ready to pick. The sour cherry season is short and fresh fruit is often difficult to find, but frozen sour cherries work very well.

Prepare the crust as above and give it the preliminary baking.

Cherry filling:

3 generous cups pitted sour cherries
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
grated zest of one lemon
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbs. cornstarch
1/2 cup finely chopped whole almonds

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and almonds in the top of a double-boiler or in a bain marie (steel or Pyrex mixing bowl set over a kettle of boiling water). I do this over heat because I usually work with frozen cherries. Adjust the sugar to suit, remembering that sour cherries will always seem a bit astringent no matter how much sugar you add, so err toward the scant side but use at least half a cup. Add the cornstarch and remove from heat when it begins to thicken.

If you are fortunate enough to have fresh cherries, stir them with the sugar, salt, and lemon zest, and allow them to macerate for half an hour or so to develop juice. Then stir in the cornstarch. You can do this without heat, although I like to be sure the cornstarch is setting up and give the cherries a head start on the baking. Pour the cherry mixture into the pre-baked tart shell and distribute evenly.

Set the tart on a cookie sheet or alumninum foil, as the tart will almost certainly expand during baking and make a fair-sized mess in the oven without protection. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling bubbles a bit. The tart may not seem quite set, but give it a couple more minutes if you don’t quite trust it.

Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the finely chopped almonds over the top. While this step is optional in the blueberry version (I think it may actually detract from the blueberries), I now consider it essential for a successful cherry tart, particularly because the cherries often boil over and look a bit sloppy. A topping of ground almonds covers all. I usually place a small plastic circle in the center (the top of a deli container) and sprinkle the almonds around the perimeter. Brush the almonds off and remove the plastic circle to show off the cherries and make a better presentation.

The Cranberry Version

This version arrived after Thanksgiving 2022. The pastry tart shell was OK, but the filling seemed a better match for the oatmeal tart shell.

Prepare the crust as above and give it the preliminary baking. You might consider using walnuts in the crust rather than the 1/4 cup of almonds for the cranberry version.

Cranberry curd:

12 oz. fresh cranberries (1 bag)
1 cup sugar
zest and juice of one orange
4 oz. butter (1 stick or 8 tbsp.)
2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

Simmer cranberries, sugar, and orange juice and zest over medium heat until the berries pop and soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to create as fine a purée as possible. Strain the purée through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining seeds or grit. Add the butter and whisk it in as it melts.

Put the eggs and additional yolks into a bowl and beat them lightly with a whisk. Slowly, bit by bit, add a cup of the warm cranberry mixture, whisking it into the eggs. The idea is to temper the eggs, not cook them. When the cupful is incorporated, add the remaining cranberry mixture and continue to whisk.

Wipe out any unstrained cranberry mixture from the pot and pour in the egg-cranberry mixture. Cook it over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and is almost bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the liquid to cool to room temperature.

When the mixture has cooled, pour it into the pre-baked tart shell, smooth the surface, and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes to set the curd. Place it on a rack to cool. A scattering of ground walnuts, similar to the almonds of the sour cherry tart above, would be an option worth considering. The tart can be stored at room temperature for up to two days.

The Blueberry Original

Prepare the crust as above and give it the preliminary baking.

Blueberry filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. cornstarch
grated zest of one lemon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely chopped whole almonds (optional)

Rinse berries and shake dry in a colander. (Do not attempt this with frozen berries.) In a small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and zest. Dump the berries into a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar/cornstarch mixture over all and stir to distribute evenly. Crush more than half of the berries while stirring, but leave some whole. Pour berry mixture into the pre-baked tart and distribute evenly, being sure to push berries all the way to the edges.

Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until berries bubble a bit. Remove from oven. Sprinkle finely chopped almonds over the top, if you like. An alternative is to dust the tart with confectioner’s sugar, since the fresh berries can be a little on the tart side.