The skies are darkening to a steel grey making everything seem dull and barren in its wake. It’s that time of year. February tests our patience making the shortest month of the year sometimes seem like the longest with cold, dark days. No wonder Valentine’s Day falls smack in the middle of February. We are all craving something bright, cheery and rosy.
Last week during a particularly dreary day, I found myself in a different grocery store in a pathetic attempt to shake up my mundane routine. I welcomed a change of scenery in any form, even if it was just another grocery store.
However, while reaching for a tin of baking powder, out of the corner of my eye on the lowest shelf, I caught sight of a row of beautifully packaged cans of Oregon red tart cherries. It was the fabulous retro packaging with black labels that attracted me but the promise of juicy summer cherries immediately seemed to cast a rosy glow on the rest of my ordinary day. La Vie en Rose, indeed.
At home, I decide to use some other impulse buys to make an almond meal marzipan crust. The Almond Meal is from Trader Joe’s and the marzipan, which is a sweet almond paste, is available in a tube in the baking section of most grocery stores (usually on a high shelf).
Making Cherry Tarts with an Almond Marzipan Crust may seem too precious to try at home but really is not. The dough couldn’t be easier and nothing has to be planned in advance. Frozen or very chilled butter and shortening (or just butter if that’s all you have) make the best crusts.
You might be tempted to use prepared pie crust, and that is fine. However, I like that by using almond meal I’m reducing the amount of flour and adding some protein. Additionally, I’ve learned that almonds can even help lessen the surge of blood sugar after eating.
Good health aside, the reason to make these tarts is that the combination of almonds and cherries is perfection. Each rounds out the other’s flavors, balancing tart against sweet finishing with a poignant twang from the marzipan.
Pulling our individual tarts from the oven, they are everything we desire on a bleak winter’s day. The ruddy cherries are juicy and glisten unctuously as they appear to burst out of their diminutive shells. We are tempted to devour on the spot but wisely let them cool enough so as not to be scalding.
Sinking your teeth into a warm cherry tart brings a rosy glow to the day, making summer seem a little bit closer. At the very least, February now seems at least a little more tolerable.
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