Imotska Torta

Imotska Torta (Imotski Almond and Cherry Tart)

A traditional tart from the Imotski region of Dalmatia, with a crisp almond-and-wine short crust, a layer of sweet fresh cherries, and a tender almond filling set with eggs. Serve at room temperature with a glass of the same dessert wine used in the dough.

Prep

30 min

Cook

45 min

Total

75 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8½ oz (≈2 cups)) plain (all-purpose) flour
• •100 g (3½ oz (≈¾ cup)) ground almonds, blanched if a pale crust is desired
• •150 g (5¼ oz (≈⅔ cup)) unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• •80 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sweet dessert wine, traditionally prošek (Croatian dessert wine); a sweet Marsala or Pedro Ximénez sherry is the closest substitute in a home kitchen
• •1 whole egg yolk, for the dough
• •1 pinch fine sea salt
• •350 g (12 oz (≈2 cups pitted)) fresh sour cherries, pitted; ripe sweet cherries are an acceptable home-kitchen substitute
• •150 g (5¼ oz (≈1¼ cups)) ground almonds, for the filling
• •120 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar, for the filling
• •3 whole large eggs, room temperature
• •40 ml (3 tbsp) sweet dessert wine, same wine as the dough
• •1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) baking powder
• •1 tbsp icing sugar, optional, for dusting

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: pulse the flour, ground almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor, then add the cold butter and work until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and the 60 ml wine and pulse just until a soft dough comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. 2 Roll out the chilled dough on parchment to a 30 cm (12 in) round and line a 24 cm (9½ in) tart tin with a removable base, trimming the edges. Prick the base all over with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
3. 3 Blind bake: line the shell with baking paper, fill with baking beans, and bake at 180 °C / 350 °F (fan 160 °C) for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake a further 5 minutes, until the base is pale and set.
4. 4 Lower the oven to 170 °C / 340 °F (fan 150 °C). Scatter the pitted cherries evenly over the warm pre-baked shell.
5. 5 Make the filling: whisk the 3 eggs with the 120 g sugar until pale, then whisk in the 150 g ground almonds, baking powder, lemon zest and the 40 ml wine. The mixture should be soft and spoonable but not runny; if it loosens too much, add another tablespoon of ground almonds.
6. 6 Spoon the almond filling gently over the cherries and spread to the edges. Bake for 28–35 minutes, until the top is golden brown, feels set to a light touch in the centre, and a skewer inserted into the almond layer (avoiding a cherry) comes out clean.
7. 7 Cool the tart fully in the tin on a rack - the filling firms up as it cools. Dust with icing sugar just before slicing.
8. 8 Serve at room temperature. In Croatia it is traditionally paired with a small glass of prošek; if you used a sweet sherry or Marsala, offer that alongside. The torta keeps, covered, for 2 days at room temperature.