Cherry Almond and Cream Jam Tarts…

“The Queen of Hearts

She made some tarts,   

 All on a summer’s day.”

~Anonymous

But there is no need to wait for Summer…

These jam tarts are extra special for a tea-time treat anytime!

Almonds and cherries; a match made in heaven!

I use my Charming Cherry Jam for the filling.

Make the paste, add egg, ground almonds, flour and a pinch of salt.

Ingredients:

• 250g flour
• 125g butter (at room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 100g of icing sugar
• 40g ground almonds
• Pinch of salt
• Cherry jam
• 150ml double cream
• fresh cherries, pitted and halved
• Some toasted almonds

Chill the pastry, roll, cut and use the tart shaper.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tray.
3. Beat the soft butter and icing sugar make a sweet paste, then add the ground almonds and egg and mix vigorously.
4. Add the flour and salt and mix together quickly by hand to make a ball, wrap it in cling film and keep in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
5. Remove the pastry from the fridge, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
6. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry so it’s 0.5cm thick.
7. Use a fluted cookie cutter, just a little bigger than the holes of the tray, cut out rounds of pastry .
8. Using a tart shaper, gently push the pastry into the wells so they come up the sides.
9. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling into each jam tart
10. Pop the trays on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for around 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling.
11. Remove from the oven, leave in the tray to firm slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.
12. Just before serving, whip up some double cream and pipe some on top of each tart, top with half a fresh cherry, sprinkle on a few toasted almond flakes and a drop or two of runny jam.

Fill with jam, bake , cool in the tray, then on on a wire rack and decorate.

Piped cream, fresh cherries, toasted almonds and a little runny jam…

delicious, delightful and a teatime dessert for any time of the year!

Frances 🍒