Fruit-Meringue-Almond Tart

There is no English name for this recipe, which is a variation on my mum’s Johannisbeertorte, which means ‘redcurrent tart’. But it’s more than that, and it is really easy!

You can use any sour summer fruit for this, such as red- or black currents, sour cherries, jostaberries or gooseberries.

Now, I’ve got a thing about gooseberries in the UK. In the shops, they are usually pale and hard as bullets. That means that they are not ripe and they are horrid. Rant over: you know what to do.

Shortcrust Pastry

My favourite pastry is a little indulgent, but hey, that’s what cake is all about, no?

Combine 8 oz of flour with 5 oz butter and two tablespoons of sugar (or honey). The butter should be at room temperature, not cold. You can replace some of the flower (an ounce or two) with ground almond. A teaspoon of ground cinnamon is good in there, too. Add an egg and quickly let it come together as pastry. Set aside to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.

Line a buttered metal tart dish with the pastry.

Now you have two options:
1) either blind-bake the pastry for 10 minutes in a pre-heated oven (180°C)
2) or roll out a wafer thin (around 1 mm) layer of marzipan and line the pastry with it.
The second option adds extra depth to the flavour and complements the sour fruit very well.

Fruit-meringue-almond filling

Meanwhile, combine about 500 g fruit with 3 egg yolks and 150 g ground almond. Add some vanilla if you like.

Whisk the egg white until stiff, then gradually add 100 g caster sugar and continue whisking until you can cut it with a knife.

Gently combine the egg white in three separate portions with the fruit mix and fill it into the pastry. Smooth the top and bake until at 180°C for around 45 minutes.

I like it just as it comes, but some prefer it with cream.