RED THREAD OF FATE

A belief originating from Asian legends that an invisible red string connects two people, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break.

A BITE OF THE CHERRY

This is a slightly modified Double-Crust Cherry Tart recipe from the September 2005 issue of Sunset Magazine.

Double-Crust Cherry Tart

1 cup (1/2 lb) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks (save whites)*

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup white cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 lbs fresh cherries, rinsed and pitted**

2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1 tbsp lemon juice

1. In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth; beat in egg yolks. Stir in flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Divide dough in half. Press one portion over bottom and up sides to rim of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable rim. Place other portion on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 10-inch round. Slide round onto a baking sheet. Chill tart shell and round until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. In another bowl, mix cherries, tapioca, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour into chilled tart shell and spread level. ***Invert dough round over tart. Press edges into rim of tart pan, pinching off any excess. Sprinkle tart lightly with sugar.
3. Place tart pan on an uninsulated baking sheet. Bake on lower rack of a 375º F oven until top is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes, rotating tart halfway through baking time. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Brush egg white on bottom of crust to create a sealant. This will prevent bottom sogginess from the cherry juice.

**Fresh cherries aren't in season quite yet so I substituted Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries (24.7 oz jar). Make sure you drain most of the juice, saving only about 2 tablespoons for the filling. These particular cherries are harvested in Germany in the month of July. My German friend's mom swears by them.

***I cut out circles and layered them concentrically to create the top crust.

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