1-First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare the tart crust by blind baking a 9.5-inch tart shell and letting it cool completely for a sturdy base.

2-Next, make the chocolate ganache by heating ¼ cup heavy whipping cream until steaming, then add ⅓ cup finely chopped dark chocolate (72% cacao) and stir until smooth. Pour this into the cooled tart shell, spread evenly, and chill in the refrigerator.

3-Prepare the almond pastry cream by whisking together ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 4 large egg yolks in a bowl.

4-Add 2 cups whole milk to the mixture and cook over medium heat while whisking until it thickens, then continue cooking for another 90 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1½ teaspoons almond extract, strain the mixture, and cool it in an ice bath.

5-Spread the cooled pastry cream evenly over the chilled ganache layer and refrigerate again to set.

6-For the sour cherry filling, mix 5⅛ cups pitted sour cherries with 1 cup granulated sugar (or ½ cup if using sweet cherries) and ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour. Bake this at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until it’s bubbling and thickened, then let it cool.

7-Spoon the cooled roasted cherries over the pastry cream layer evenly and chill the tart for several hours to firm up.

8-Whip ¾ cup heavy whipping cream with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar until stiff peaks form, then pipe swirls on top of the tart.

9-Create chocolate shavings using a vegetable peeler on a thick chocolate bar and sprinkle them over the whipped cream. Optionally, top each swirl with a halved fresh cherry.

10-Finally, refrigerate the tart until it’s ready to serve, ensuring all flavors meld together perfectly.