I discovered this pie when I was a teenager during a family summer holiday in the French Basque country. Back home when I made it with my mother for the first time, it was a real success!
Ingredients
- 450 g crème pâtissière
For the pastry
- 150 g caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ lemon, thinly grated zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 g plain flour
- 200 g soft butter
For the black cherry jam (or use a small jar of black cherry jam) and For the glaze
- 250 g black cherries
- 110 g caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
How to Make It
- Make the crème pâtissière following the method and recipe.
- To make the pastry, use an electric mixer to whisk the caster sugar, egg, egg yolk, thinly grated lemon zest and salt until it whitens. Switch the whisk to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour followed by the soft butter. Divide the pastry into 2 unequal pieces (250 g for the top, 330 g for the base), cover in cling film and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
- To make the black cherry jam; stone and cut the cherries into quarters. Put them in a pan with the caster sugar, and cook the jam slowly over a low heat for about 10 minutes to reduce the juice. Cool at room temperature.
- Remove the larger piece of pastry from the fridge and use to line the tart tin.
- Spread the cherry jam evenly over the pastry, then cover it with the whisked crème pâtissière.
- Brush the side of the pastry base with water. Roll out the second pastry section and cover the pie. Remove the excess and seal the lid to the base by pinching the pastry edges together.
- With a pastry brush, mix the egg yolk with the water and glaze the pie. Mark some ridges with a fork and make a hole in its middle with a knife tip.
- Bake the pie for 30 minutes. If the top gets too dark, cover it with a piece of foil before finishing off the baking. Cool down in the dish.