Cherry Chocolate Ganache Tart

After dedicating a week post our wedding return sleeping, unpacking, sleeping, writing thank you cards and sleeping some more, we took a mini trip to the Okanagan. And when you take a trip to the Okanagan mid summer it’s pretty much obligatory to load up on all the fresh in season fruit you can. So we left with a whole big box of apricots, raspberries and a ton of cherries. After 3 days of apricot and raspberry jam while eating my weight in cherries, I still had cherries left that needed desperately using up.

When I think of cherry baking to be honest all I think of is black forest gateaux. But man I have to admit I am really not a fan of black forest gateaux, like really really not! Maybe it’s the fact I don’t like cream, or might be the kirsh, or that I’ve only had bad store bought ones with fake cherries in it, but it’s just not my thing. But then again I think I can really get behind the chocolate cherry combo and why have I not tried this before. Probably that aversion to black forest gateaux thing.

But this tart has none of the bells and whistles of a black forest cake, it’s back to the basic cherry and chocolate combo with a few hazelnuts thrown into the crust. It’s not a classic chocolate and cream ganache. It’s made with eggs and requires a little more work, (only a little) but it. is. worth. it! It’s lighter than your traditional ganache but still heavenly rich, with a layer of cherries inside to help you not feel like you are going to die of chocolate overload. It’s decadent, rich and creamy, everything a chocolate cherry tart should be.

– Cherry Chocolate Ganache Tart –

Crust
Begin by roasting the hazelnuts. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place on a baking tray for about 7mins until the skins just turn brown. Check on them regularly after a few minutes as they can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and let cool slighty. Then rub the hazlenuts between two pieces of paper towel to remove the skins. Finely chop the hazelnuts.

Melt butter on a low heat. If using chocolate cookies pulse in a food processor until they form crumbs. Mix the crumbs, hazelnuts and melted butter together well.

Press the crust mix evenly into a 9 inch tart pan, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 mins.

Ganache
Add the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Mix every now and then until the chocolate and butter are both melted completely. Remove from the heat and set to the side to cool down.

Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes until they are light and foamy. When the chocolate mix has cooled down, fold carefully into the egg mix.

Chop the cherries in half and remove the seeds. Arrange the cherries all over the top of the crust. Spread the ganache over the cherries and fill the tart.

Bake the tart for 10mins. Remove from the oven and let cool. Then cover and refrigerate to allow it set. Remove from the fridge about 1hr before serving so that it has time to soften up. Top with fresh cherries and enjoy.