Cherry and Chocolate Ganache with Graham Cracker Crust

photos by scott haydon

My nephew was at our house for a visit last weekend. One of my favorite things to do with my nephew is "make it your way" meals. Most recently, we prepared some noodles and set out assorted ingredients (sauces, cheeses, leeks, tomatoes, shallots, spices) and each made our own mini baked noodle casserole. Delicious! 

After running some errands, and eating a very tasty Pho lunch, we decided that we should make something with the best priced bing cherries I've seen all year. After talking about it we soon determined that a fresh (mostly non bake) cherry dessert sounded like a great idea. This led to some google searching and, with a couple of tweaks, the recipe you see here was born.

We took our tart with us to Monday Night Dinner and I'm happy to tell you that we did NOT have any leftovers. This tart was so good! The cherries mild tartness offset the intense dark chocolate-y sweetness of the ganache layer and the graham cracker crust crunch was perfect. This is a great (and easy) summer recipe. Truly, delightful.

This recipe was adapted from here and here.

Graham Cracker Crust
18 2x2 graham cracker squares
2 TBS sugar
6 TBS butter, melted

Chocolate Ganache
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 TBS butter
8 ounces dark chocolate chips

Cherry Topping
halve a handful of cherries, tossing the stones.

Make a crust:

Heat the oven to 350. In a food processor, combine the graham cracker squares and sugar. Process briefly until consistent texture throughout. Add melted butter and process til combined.

I used a springform pan because I don't own a tart pan. Use the wrapper from the butter to prepare the pan. Pour in the graham crust and press evenly into pan, remembering to create a 1/2 to 1 inch high "edge" up the pan walls.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browning. Set aside and allow the crust to cool completely.

Make a ganache filling:

Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Put the cream and butter in a small pan on the stove, over medium heat. Bring to just a boil and then remove from heat. Pour the pan into the chocolate chip bowl. Wrap some foil across the top of the bowl and let it rest for a few minutes.

After a few minutes have passed, remove the foil and stir the chocolate chips and cream mixture until blended smoothly.

Pour the smooth mixture over the cooled graham cracker crust, evenly. Let rest for a few minutes.

Decorate the ganache with the cherry halves. Chill in the refrigerator until you are about to serve the dish.

Remove from the fridge a few minutes before serving. Pop open the spring form release and carefully remove the tart and place on serving plate.

Enjoy!