Ingredients
Serves 12
Pastry
150g plain flour
80g unsalted butter
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
Frangipane Filling
130g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
130g caster sugar
130g ground almonds
1 tbsp almond essence
2½ tbsp. plain flour
3 tbsp milk
2 eggs
200g pitted cherries (fresh or defrosted from frozen)
Method
Pastry
Put the flour and butter into a food processor and mix until it all comes together to form a dough. Alternatively, put the flour and butter into a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. If mixing by hand, ensure that your hands are cold!
Mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt followed by the egg yolk. If using a food processor, add and pulse until combined. If the pastry feels too dry, add some water. If it feels a bit wet, add a touch of flour.
Shape into a ball and wrap in clingfilm. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to gas mark 6/180°C fan/200°C
Take your dough out from the freezer and dust working area with flour. Dust your rolling pin. Allow 5 minutes before rolling it for the temperature to come up a bit.
Roll your dough until it is the thickness of a one pound coin, ensuring you rotate the dough for even thickness.
Line a 25cm tart tin with the pastry, pressing the pastry into the sides. Don’t trim the sides just yet! Place in the fridge for 15 mins.
Remove the tart from the fridge and prick lightly with a fork. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans – you can use dry rice if you don’t have baking beans.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Remove from the oven, remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5-7 minutes.
Trim the edges with a small serrated knife.
Frangipane Filling
Place 6 tbsp of The Cherry Tree Cherry with Amaretto Extra Jam in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds. This will make the jam runnier and easier to spread on the base of the tart. Spread evenly across the pastry.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs. Slowly add these to the butter and sugar and mix together.
Add the milk, almond essence and flour and mix in with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and combine fully.
Layer the mixture over the jam layer. Arrange the cherries on top but don’t push them in! The mixture will rise and will hug the cherries so there’s no need to push them down.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to cool.
Serve warm or cold alongside a good cup of tea and (if you like it jammy), more jam on top!