RUSTIC CHERRY TART

"This free-form tart is easy to assemble and the filling can be substituted with fresh fruit such as peaches, apples or any berry."

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries (16-ounce package)
2 tablespoons orange liqueur or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Tart Pastry (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon sugar

In a medium saucepan, stir together 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch until combined. Stir in cherries and orange liqueur. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl; cool for 30 minutes.

Prepare Tart Pastry; on a lightly floured surface, use your hands to flatten pastry dough slightly. Roll the dough from center to the edge into a 13-inch circle. Wrap pastry around a rolling pin. Transfer to a 12- or 13-inch pizza pan, allowing any excess pastry to extend over the edges.

Spoon slightly cooled fruit mixture into the center of the pastry, leaving a 3-inch border around edge. Fold pastry border up and over the filling, pleating as you go around edge of pastry, leaving center open. Sprinkle pastry with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden and fruit in center is bubbly. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges.

TART PASTRY

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt.
2/3 cup cold butter
8 to 9 tablespoons water

In a large mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until pieces are the size of peas. Gradually add 8 to 9 tablespoons water to dry mixture, tossing with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Form dough into a ball.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Country Home magazine, June 2000