Cherry Tart, the Original Recipe

First of all, take care of the preparation of the shortcrust pastry.

Pour the flour onto a work surface; make a hole in the middle and pour in the sugar, a teaspoon of grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

Start working the ingredients with your hands, then add the cold butter cut into small pieces and continue to mix the dough; then add a yolk and a whole egg and continue to mix all the ingredients with your hands until you create a homogeneous mixture.

Once the dough is formed, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour before using it.

While the shortcrust pastry is resting, proceed with the preparation of the custard.

Put in a saucepan 4 egg yolks with the sugar, stirring vigorously until you get a smooth and creamy mixture. Then slowly pour in the milk, continuing to stir, then transfer to the heat and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, add the flour (stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps) and let the cream thicken, then turn off and let cool. Store in the refrigerator until use.

Now roll out the pastry in a low-sided baking tray, preferably lined with baking paper, so that during cooking the base does not stick and - at the end of the preparation - it is easier to remove. Cut off the excess dough and prick the bottom with a fork, then bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and pit the cherries, then cut them in half and transfer them to a bowl.

Moisten with a little lemon juice and add about two tablespoons of icing sugar, mix and set aside.

Once removed from the oven, let the shortcrust pastry shell cool before filling it with the custard. Once this operation is finished, you can add the cherries on top and, if you want, decorate with more icing sugar.