Perhaps in your neck of the woods Montmorency sour cherries are no big deal, perhaps they grow everywhere and you can pick them at leisure and source them in markets, but not so in California! We get them canned in syrup or packed in water for the most part, and the color and flavor is nowhere close to the fresh ones. I know, we just about have it all here in the Bay Area, but we don’t have Montmorency sour cherries and that’s a tragedy..

Montmorency Sour Cherry Tarts!

So, where did I find these beauties? Well, my mother-in-law says I’m a Persian at heart because I have secret knowledge of free-for-all fruit trees in my neighborhood. I guess it’s a Persian thing. But also, sour cherries are a big deal in Iranian cooking and I’ll post some of my Mom’s recipes soon. Her eyes got very large and a little watery, when I showed her my secret sour cherry tree. “You are Persian, I knew it, don’t tell anyone about this tree…” Yeah, and here I am blabbing to the world…. sorry Mom….

Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top and dig in!

This particular cherry tree overhangs a fence on a busy Oakland street and for years on my walks about town, I watched as no one touched it. Not even the birds – who normally descend on cherry trees like locust. For this reason, although I could tell it was some sort of cherry, I thought perhaps it was poisonous. Montmorency cherries are almost neon red in color and small compared to Bing or Ranier. They are sour too, but not so pucker-y that you can’t eat them fresh.

Toddlers are makers by nature and they love to learn how things work. Layla, my little three-year-old, enjoys ‘jobs’ in the kitchen that involve fine motor skills (use of hands) and pitting cherries was fun for her – which is great, because I hate it. Yay! Teach ’em young! She was super psyched to sit down with her bowl of just-picked cherries and figure out how to use the pitter. Little Ones gain a sense of independence and self-reliance when they can master a tool/appliance/tennis-shoe-with-laces/etc and anything involving food – specifically sweet food – is instantly exciting.

Nothing like a taste of sweet success after a hard day picking cherries and making tarts!

This recipe is straight forward: make pastry dough, pit cherries (and check and double check because nothing is worse than cracking a tooth on a pit), mix cherries with some cornstarch and sugar, shape tarts, fill, bake, put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and eat! Voilà! C’est facile!

I’ve included in the recipe how to make pie crust by hand without a Cuisinart or pastry cutter because it’s easy and fun for kids! Try it! It honestly doesn’t take me anymore time to make by hand and then I have one thing less to wash!

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Montmorency Sour Cherry Tarts

Ingredients

  • 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms
  • Tart dough:
  • 2 1/4 cups, plus extra for rolling out
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted European style butter (2 sticks), cut into small pieces
  • ½ cup ice water (you will NOT use all of this)
  • Cherry filling:
  • 2 1/2 cups sour cherries, pitted (about 16oz)
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 pinches cinnamon, if desired

Pit cherries and double check for stones! Mix cherries with lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch and allow to sit at room temperature while making tart dough. Add a few pinches of cinnamon, if desired.

If making by hand: In a large mixing bowl, whisk  the flour and salt together. Add the cubed cold butter and rub in using your fingertips pressing the two ingredients together, until the texture resembles cornmeal or small peas. Pretend like you are counting money and you'll be amazed at how fast you can do this step. Add 2 tablespoons of water and, using one hand (leaving the other relatively clean and dry), bring the dough together into one ball. Add a little extra water if necessary.

If using a Cuisinart: attach the metal blade, add the flour and salt to the container, and pulse a few times to evenly distribute ingredients. Add the cubes of cold butter and use on-and-off pulses until the mixture resembles small peas. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together into a ball. If necessary add more water.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead it 3 times until it is pliable and easy to form. You don't want to overwork the dough or it will be tough.

Divide dough into two and flatten into rounds, wrap tightly with saran wrap and chill for at least an hour to allow the gluten to rest. When ready to use, allow the dough to come up just below room temperature and then roll out to fit tart pan or pie dish. Prick dough with a fork all over the bottom to prevent bubbles.

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Place filled tarts on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry dough is golden. Allow to cool a little before adding a big ol' scoop of vanilla ice cream over top!