This post is sponsored by BC Tree Fruits and Oh Sweet Day! has been compensated monetarily. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Oh Sweet Day! possible.

Fresh cherries mean summer is finally here! Have you been eating lots of cherries like us? Well, in our house, the activity of eating cherries is going really strong, like there is no cherry tomorrow!

When buying cherries, I like to go with plump and shiny ones with a deep red, almost black color. They should be firm and their stems are still attached. And I always look for BC Tree Fruits as their beautiful dark luscious cherries are always the ones I adore. They start the Okanagan’s summer fruit harvest, usually around the third week in June. Late-ripening varieties carry the season well into August – one of the latest in North America.

As you can imagine, we’ve been buying loads of BC Tree Fruits premium cherries as they become a summer staple. We bring them to hiking, biking, golfing, soccer game… Even at home, that big bowl of cherries is always on the kitchen counter! Also for an avid baker like myself, baking with them is simply inevitable.

This roasted cherry chocolate cream pie combines four flavors that go together like a dream: sweet and juicy cherries, rich and bitter dark chocolate, tangy cream cheese, and buttery shortbread crust. This is truly a decadent dessert thanks to the silky chocolate and cream cheese filling, but the roasted sweet cherries help to cut through that richness. Also the chocolate shortbread crust has a buttery flavor and tender texture, making this pie so heavenly! To decorate the pie, I simply put some more fresh cherries on top along the edges, and that easily makes a stunning finale to a special meal or dinner party.

Ingredients (9-inch pie):
Roasted Cherries
1 cup cherries, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Chocolate Shortbread Crust
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
Filling
1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gram dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup fresh cherries
1/4 cup fresh basil or mint leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Toss the cherries and sugar in a baking dish to combine.  Bake for 20 minutes, until the cherries have softened slightly, and start to release their juices.  Let the cherries cool completely.
To prepare crust, cream the butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
Reduce the speed to low and beat until just incorporated.
Gather dough and form a dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill.
Lower oven temperature to 350F. Grease a pie pan with a removable bottom.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Line the prepared pan with the rolled dough. Leave a tiny overhang of the dough. Use a small kitchen knife to trim the excess and to score the tops of the tart.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the crust cool completely before removing from the pan.
To prepare filling, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until it holds firm peaks. Remove cream from bowl and keep cold in fridge.
In the same bowl, use a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until it’s soft and creamy.
Add sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate, continue beating until combined.
Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten the mixture, then add the remaining cream and continue folding until incorporated.
Pour half of the cream mixture in the cooled crust. Scatter the roasted cherries on top. Cover with the remaining cream mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Refrigerate the pie until set, about 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
Decorate the pie with fresh cherries and basil or mint leaves.