A thin, crisp crust balances rich dark chocolate ganache with tart fruit and toasted buckwheat. Make the tart ahead; add the crunchy topping just before serving.
This tart is all about three distinct textures: a thin, crisp crust, smooth ganache, and cherries that stay fresh and juicy. Dark chocolate with around 65–70% cocoa has enough bitterness to balance the sweet-and-sour cherries without making the ganache too intense. A little butter makes the filling silky, while keeping it firm enough to cut into neat slices once chilled. Take the tart out of the fridge shortly before slicing; the ganache will be less firm and the chocolate flavor will come through better.
In the Netherlands, sour cherries are often easier to find frozen or in a jar than fresh. Frozen cherries are especially handy in summer, when fresh cherries are plentiful, if you want this sharper flavor rather than using sweet cherries. Drain jarred fruit well and taste it before adding sugar: some varieties come in sweetened juice. Frozen cherries can release a little extra liquid, so drain the fruit after thawing. A small amount of cornstarch thickens the cherry juice, helping the fruit stay on top of the ganache rather than running when you slice the tart.
Bake the crust first with pie weights, then without them. This keeps the dough from puffing up and helps the crust bake until dry and crisp before the moist filling goes in. Bake it until golden, not just pale: an underbaked crust quickly softens beneath the ganache and fruit. Let the baked crust cool before pouring in the chocolate. Icing sugar works well in the dough because it mixes in easily; regular fine sugar also works, though the texture will be a little less even.
Buckwheat has a toasted, slightly earthy flavor that goes well with dark chocolate. Toasting the groats first, then coating them in caramel, keeps them crisp and makes them stand out as a topping. Sprinkle them over the tart just before serving: in the fridge, moisture from the fruit and filling seeps into the crunchy sugar. Keep the tart covered in the fridge and eat it within two to three days; store the buckwheat brittle separately at room temperature. Serve small slices after a meal, or with a spoonful of unsweetened crème fraîche if you’d like a little extra freshness.
Mix the flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water and knead briefly until the dough comes together. Add a little more water only if needed. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional). On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 3 mm thick and line a 22 cm tart tin with a removable base. Trim the edges neatly and prick the base a few times. Line with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dry rice.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and pie weights and bake for another 8–10 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool completely.
Put the cherries, 20 g sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, until the fruit is warm and releases some juice. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth, stir it into the cherries and cook briefly, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool completely.
Toast the buckwheat groats in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer to a plate. Add 25 g sugar and 1 teaspoon water to the pan and heat without stirring until the sugar turns amber. Stir in the buckwheat, spread it out on baking paper and leave to harden. Break or chop into small pieces.
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it just begins to steam; do not let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then stir from the center until you have a smooth ganache. Stir in the 20 g butter.
Pour the ganache into the cooled tart crust and spread it evenly. Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours, until the filling is firm.
Spread the cooled cherries over the tart. Remove the tart from the tin and sprinkle the buckwheat brittle over it just before serving. Cut into slices with a warm, dry knife.
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