Michigan cherry tart with vanilla yogurt cream custard, is one of my favorite summer treats. I have fond memories of picking cherries with my family or friends. Cherries are more than just a delicious fruit to me. They are also a symbol of my childhood. They remind me of the simple joys of life, like spending time with my family and eating fresh, homegrown fruit. When I see cherries, I’m transported back to those carefree days when life was all about playing outside and having fun.
Should you visit Michigan my recommendation is to go cherry-picking. There are many U-pick farms in Michigan where you can pick your cherries. It’s a fun and family-friendly activity, and it’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise.
Michigan Cherries, the Sweet and Tart Fruit of the Great Lakes State.
Michigan is known for its many delicious fruits, but none are more iconic than the cherry. In fact, Michigan is the leading producer of tart cherries in the world, and the second-leading producer of sweet cherries. The two most common varieties of cherries grown in Michigan are Montmorency and Balaton. Montmorency cherries are tart cherries that are used for pies, preserves, and other baked goods. Balaton cherries are also tart cherries, but they are slightly sweeter than Montmorency cherries. They are often used for snacking and in salads.
Tart Cherries.
Tart cherries are the most common type of cherry grown in Michigan. They are known for their tart flavor, which makes them a popular ingredient in pies, pastries, and other desserts. Tart cherries are also a good source of antioxidants, which can help to protect your cells from damage. Michigan produces over 70% of the tart cherries grown in the United States. The state’s tart cherry crop is worth over $200 million each year. Michigan also produces a significant amount of sweet cherries, but the state is not as dominant in this market as it is in the tart cherry market.
Sweet Cherries.
Sweet cherries are a less tart variety of cherry that is often eaten fresh. They are also a good source of antioxidants, and they contain more sugar than tart cherries. Sweet cherries are a popular snack, and they can also be used in pies, salads, and other dishes. They’re the perfect fruit to enjoy on a hot summer day So next time you’re in the mood for something delicious, reach for a pint of Michigan blueberries. You won’t be disappointed.
The Amazing Benefits of Cherries.
If you are looking for a delicious and nutritious way to improve your health, cherries are a great option. They can be enjoyed fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. You can also add them to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, or salads.
- Reduced inflammation: Cherries are a good source of antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in the body. This can be beneficial for people with conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.
- Enhanced muscle recovery: Cherries contain anthocyanins, compounds that have been shown to help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation after exercise.
- Lowered risk of heart disease: Cherries contain compounds that can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which are two risk factors for heart disease.
- Reduced risk of cancer: Cherries contain antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer.
In addition to these benefits, cherries are also a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber. They are low-calorie food, making them a healthy choice for weight loss or maintenance.
Here are some additional details about Cherries.
- The scientific name for cherries is Prunus.
- Cherries are a member of the rose family.
- There are over 1,000 different varieties of cherries.
- Cherries are in season from late May to early August.
- Cherries are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
I’m not a Baker, however, I love to Bake
The Butter Book teaches me the science of classic pastries at home and helps me to become a better baker. It includes 200 + video lessons, recipes, and expert tips, shared by master chefs. Suppose you’re a beginner looking to master the pastry basics, a seasoned home baker looking to take your confectionary skills to the next level, or a professional pastry chef eager to reconnect with classic recipes.
The Butter Book is for you! Get started today when you sign up for a free 10-day trial. Easily accessible on a mobile device and with courses available on-demand anytime, you can opt to learn how to decorate an ombre cake at 3 a.m. or bake cream custard during your child’s naptime. A subscription is $24.99 a month or $199 for a year. Please review the link from Saveur magazine about the Butter Book as the best online baking platform.
The Butter Book is a creation of world-renowned Pastry Chefs Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., and Jacquy Pfeiffer who are also the founders of the French Pastry School in Chicago, Illinois. For over 25 years, Chef Sébastien and Chef Jacquy have been training thousands of pastry chefs. Regardless of where you are on your pastry-making journey, you can learn the intricacies of baking croissants, éclairs, and many other delicious recipes through this site. I used the sweet dough recipe for my Rahmkuchen recipe from their Butter Book online baking platform.
Follow the link for my Sweet dough recipe and fantastic step-by-step training video on how to make Pate Sucrée / Sweet Dough. The link is provided by the Butter Book and published with the permission of Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F. and Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer founders of the French Pastry School.
Why use Cake Flour for Pastries or Tarts?
How much gluten is in your flour has a great deal to do with how your flour performs in your kitchen. Cake flour is the lowest in gluten of all flours so it enables you to make batter cakes and tarts. Once you mix flour with water, knead, and stretch it, you form gluten which gives your dough a chewy elastic texture. That’s exactly what I’m looking for when I bake bread. That is why I use bread flour for bread baking because it has a high percentage of gluten. However, when I bake pastry or tarts I don’t want that chewy elastic texture, so I use cake flour, which is a good choice for cakes that you want to be light and tender.
Why measure Flour in Grams?
My recipe is written in ounces, however, it gives you the option to convert the ingredients into grams. You may wonder why the butter book ingredients on their online training are written in grams. First, in baking to ensure you’re using the right amount of flour, it’s recommended to measure the flour by weight with a scale preferably in grams. Grams are always a measure of weight so there is no confusion.
Ounces and pounds are primarily used in the USA. The beauty with grams is that you can use recipes from worldwide. Another reason to use grams, it is easier to weigh out 500 grams on a scale than 1 Lb, 1.64 ounces. If you want to measure in ounces or cups fluff up the flour with a whisk and spoon it into a measuring cup, sweeping off any excess flour with a knife. This will help you measure out cups of flour that weigh about 4 1/4 ounces per cup.
Fraser the Dough.
Fraser sounds so French and so very sophisticated. It really is not, in a nutshell, Fraser is a very simple technique. The technique is used when making certain doughs by hand. Using the back of your plan you push down the dough. This recipe is using a flat-edge dough scraper and scrapes the dough on the table toward you. By scraping or smearing the dough after you’ve mixed it you elongate the pieces of butter in the dough, it brings the dough together and ensures that the dough is lump-free. When mixing the sweet dough, its consistency should be firm, yet you should not overmix it or Fraser it too much, you will develop gluten.
Doubling the dough recipe makes sense since the Dough holds up extremely well in the freezer.
I always double the dough recipe for two round 9-inch tart molds or 2 rectangular tart molds. I freeze 1/2 of the raw sweet dough in plastic wrap, in an airtight plastic container or plastic bag, and store it for up to 1 month. To defrost, I transfer the sweet dough to the refrigerator for 24 hours before rolling it out. The dough will still need to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour after rolling and shaping in the tart pan.
Rahmkuchen aka Brûléed Yoghurt Cream Tart.
Using the same Sweet Dough, Pâte Sucrée recipe,
however, I added Cocoa powder to the Dough.
An interesting fact about the Metric System.
Today the metric system is the official system of measurement for every country in the world except three:
the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar. The British Imperial System of Weights and Measures was replaced by the European metric system in 1968
Measure the Accuracy of your Scale.
I recommend measuring ingredients in weight because it is more accurate than measuring in volume. If you weigh small quantities like salt or spices or you want to know if your scale is accurate and does what is supposed to do then you need to check your scale. Set your scale to zero, change to grams, and weigh a penny or two. If your scale is meant to be accurate to 1 gram the weight of a single penny will be rounded up to 3 grams. A new penny should weigh 2.5 grams, 2 pennies should weigh 5 grams and a nickel should also weigh 5 grams.
If you are serious about baking, then a Tailor Precision Scale is a worthwhile investment. It will help you to get the most accurate measurements, which will lead to better results in your baking.
Knowing your Oven.
Over the years, I’ve learned that my oven is the most important piece of equipment when it comes to baking. I’ve had a few ovens in my time, and I’ve found that not all thermostats are created equal. Some ovens run hotter or cooler than they say they do, so it’s always a good idea to check the temperature with an oven thermometer. To do this, simply preheat your oven to a set temperature and then place the thermometer in different spots inside the oven. You may find that there are hotter and cooler areas, so you’ll need to adjust your baking times accordingly.
I’ve also learned that rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking is a great way to ensure that your baked goods cook evenly. This is especially important if your oven has hotter and cooler areas.
For example, if I’m baking a cake, I’ll usually place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Then, halfway through baking, I’ll rotate the baking sheet so that the cake cooks evenly on all sides. I’ve found that this simple trick makes a big difference in the final product. My cakes are always evenly cooked and delicious!
Michigan Cherry Tart, Vanilla Yogurt Cream Custard
The Taste
Cherry tart is one of my favorite tarts.
The tartness of the cherries is balanced by the sweetness of the cookie-like crust,
The richness of the filling is offset by the light and airy texture of the pastry.
This tart is a crowd-pleaser.
The Process
Making the filling and baking a cherry tart is a relatively easy process.
The sweet dough recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
FYI, the same sweet dough recipe I used in my Rahmkuchen recipe.
I highly recommend watching the step-by-step
training video on how to make Pate Sucrée / Sweet Dough
The Verdict
A bite of my cherry tart is a taste of summer.
Cherry tarts are a classic dessert that is loved by people of all ages.
The combination of sweet cherries, and vanilla, yogurt cream custard,
baked in a cookie-like crust this tart is simply irresistible.
Choking Hazard
If a pit is not removed completely, it could become lodged in someone’s throat and cause choking.
This is especially dangerous for children, who are more likely to choke on small objects.
I recommend using a cherry pitter. This is the easiest and most effective way to pit cherries.
Please make sure that you remove the pits completely.
Even a small piece of pit can still be a choking hazard, so it is important to be thorough.
Michigan Cherry Tart, Vanilla Yogurt Cream Custard
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Dough
- 3 ounce confection sugar
- 8 ounce cake flour
- 4 ounce butter unsalted
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ounce almond flour
- 1 egg
Make the Filing
- 2 ounce Greek Yogurt
- 2.5 ounce heavy cream
- 16 ounce cherries
- 1/4 ounce cornstarch
- 1 egg medium
- 1 ounce sugar granulated
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Scale the Ingredients
- Scale the ingredients precisely and bring them to room temperature. Sift the confectioners’ sugar on parchment paper and set it aside. Sift the flour on a separate parchment paper and set it aside.
Make the Sweet Dough
- Cream the room-temperature butter and salt in a stand mixer bowl at low speed for about 10 seconds using the paddle attachment.4 ounce butter, 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Add the vanilla and incorporate. Add the confectioners’ sugar and almond powder. Mix on low speed to combine. Then scrape the side of the bowl.1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 ounce almond flour, 3 ounce confection sugar
- Now add the egg. Mix on low speed until combined. Then scrape the bowl. Mix in one-third of the flour and blend at low speed. Then mix in the remaining flour until it is well incorporated.1 egg, 8 ounce cake flour
Fraser the Dough
- Finally, to ensure the dough is lump-free, the next step is to Fraser the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or preferably overnight
- Scatter a light dusting of flour on your work surface, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out slightly larger than each tart mold.
Make the Tart Shell
- Spray tart molds with baking spray, and gently mold the cut dough into the mold. Run a knife around the edge of the tart tin to cut away any excess dough. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill
Pit the cherries and make the Filling
- Wash and pit the cherries. Blend Greek yogurt, heavy cream, cornstarch, egg, vanilla extract, and sugar. Fill the tart with the yogurt cream custard. Add the pitted cherries.2 ounce Greek Yogurt, 2.5 ounce heavy cream, 16 ounce cherries, 1/4 ounce cornstarch, 1 egg, 1 ounce sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pre Heat the Oven to 350℉
- Bake the tart for 40 minutes Remove from oven, let cool, and dust with confection sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate