Just calling something easy doesn't make it so. But we're telling the truth about today's Easy Rustic Cherry Tart.
Granted, there's a crust involved, but you don't have to make it. Easy means a refrigerated pie crust that you simply unroll. And since our tart is inspired by a European crostata with its signature free-form crust, it's not supposed to look perfect.
There is also filling involved, but again, you don't have to make it. We're stealing the cherries out of a can of pie filling, adding a few secret ingredients for irresistible flavor and calling it our own. (OK, so now we're introducing a tiny white lie, but calling it your own is optional.)
Back to the truth. The most challenging part of making our tart is coaxing the zest off a lemon. Here's our quick trick for that: Buy an inexpensive "microplane zester" at a cooking shop. You won't believe how well it works. (You can also use the smallest holes on a box grater; just be sure to remove the yellow zest only and not the bitter white parts.)
Our tart works great for Valentine's Day — or any other day you happen to need an effortless dessert with a ruby-red touch.
EASY RUSTIC CHERRY TART
Start to finish: 5 minutes preparation, plus 20 minutes to bake and about 10 minutes to cool
Nonstick cooking spray
1 refrigerated pie crust (half of a 15-ounce box), at room temperature (see cook's note)
1 cup extra-fruit cherry-pie filling (see cook's note)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec, or 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Sugar, a light sprinkle, to taste
Vanilla ice cream, optional for serving
Cook's note: Bring the pie crust to room temperature following the instructions on the package so that the crust does not crack during baking. We used both Pillsbury and our local supermarket house brand in testing, and both worked well.
We used Comstock cherry-pie filling with extra fruit for testing. If you can't find a brand containing extra fruit, that's OK. Simply scoop out mostly cherries to use in the tart. (You'll still have enough.) Any of the leftover filling, gel or cherries can be refrigerated for up to four days. (Use it to top cheesecake or spread on toast and croissants.)
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Unroll the pie crust (it must be at room temperature) onto the prepared sheet. Spoon the cherry-pie filling (using as many of the cherries as possible) onto the crust, leaving a 2-inch margin. Sprinkle the liqueur, lemon zest and almonds evenly over the filling only.
Gently fold the edges of the crust inward over the first 2 inches of the filling, leaving the center open. The sides of the crust will overlap slightly at the edges. If the crust tears, gently press it back together with your fingers. Sprinkle sugar lightly, to taste, over the exposed crust.
Bake, uncovered, until the crust is light brown and the almonds are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until slightly warm, slice and serve, with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Yield: 6 servings.
Approximate values per serving: 217 calories (49 percent from fat), 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 189 mg sodium.
Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap.Fast.Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.