Starring sweet cherries and pastry cream topped with mint chiffonade, this elegant tart is as lovely as it is delicious!

Preparation

To make the pastry cream, heat the milk and ¼ cup sugar to just below a boil. Mix together the corn starch, salt, egg yolks and ⅛ cup sugar. Slowly temper the hot milk into the egg mixture, being careful not to add too much at a time, which could scramble the eggs. 

Place the mixture back into the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk constantly, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching, and lower the heat if it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. When pastry cream has thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and press plastic wrap down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming as the pastry cream cools. Place in refrigerator to chill.

To make the cherry topping, place all topping ingredients in a sauce pot, then bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Strain the mixture, reserving the cherries and discarding the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Return the cooking liquid to the sauce pot and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon, then chill.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

To prepare the tart, score a ¾-inch border around the edge of the puff pastry. Bake until golden brown and puffed, then remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Once the puff pastry is cooled, gently press down the center section along the score lines to create a large well. Pipe a ½-inch layer of chilled pastry cream into the well. Arrange the cherries on top and then glaze with the reduced cooking liquid. Garnish with mint and whipped cream.