MARASCHINO & NUT TART

If you make just one dessert this holiday season, this should be it. It’s got it all: good looks, nuts, preserved fruit and a fudgy candy-bar-like filling. Luxardo makes the best maraschino cherries, but both Toschi and Fabbri amarena cherries, different but equally good, can be used in their place. If they’re all unavailable where you are, Cocktail Emporium (cocktailemporium.com) in Toronto ships worldwide. Whatever you do, don’t use neon red or glacé cherries—they’re no relation.

PASTRY

1/4 cup (60 mL) almond flour

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

3/4 cup (175 mL or 1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 tbsp (15 mL) water

FILLING

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) slivered almonds

3/4 cup (175 mL) shelled raw pistachios

3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar

Pinch salt

6 tbsp (90 mL) butter, softened

1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup (125 mL) drained Luxardo maraschino cherries

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp (15 mL) water

3 tbsp (45 mL) coarse decorative (sanding) sugar

1 For the pastry, combine almond flour, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and process until mixture resembles sand. Combine egg yolks and water; add through feed tube with motor running and process until mixture begins to clump. Turn out onto counter, gather together and knead once or twice just to combine. Separate into 2 pieces,

one slightly larger than the other. Flatten both into disks and wrap individually with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

2 Meanwhile, make filling by adding almonds, pistachios, sugar and salt to a food processor. Grind until nuts are finely chopped and have begun to clump together. Add butter and pulse to combine. Scrape into a bowl and stir in almond extract and egg yolks.

3 Roll larger piece of dough into a 17 x 7-inch (43 x 18 cm) rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up around rolling pin and carefully transfer to a 4 x 14-inch (10 x 35 cm) tart tin with removable bottom. Lightly press into bottom and corners; trim dough, leaving a

1/2 inch (1 cm) overhang all around. Press lightly against sides.

4 Fill with roughly half of the nut mixture; evenly distribute cherries overtop. Cover cherries with remaining nut mixture; level filling throughout. Flip overhang over filling. Combine egg and water; brush pastry overhang with egg mixture (this will give your top piece of dough something to adhere to).

5 Roll smaller piece of dough into a 15 x 5-inch (38 x 12 cm) rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Position over tin, ensuring no filling is exposed. Press down to seal around edges; run rolling pin over tin to trim excess dough. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

6 Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).

7 Using a 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch (3 to 4 cm) cookie cutter in desired shape, cut out 3 holes in top of tart. Discard dough or carefully remove each in 1 piece and reattach decoratively over dough. Brush top of tart lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with decorative sugar.

8 Place on centre rack in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350°F (177°C).

9 Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove tin to a rack and let cool to room temperature. Tart may be made up to 4 days in advance and kept at room temperature. Cut crosswise into equal pieces to serve.

Serves 6 to 8