cherry bakewells

Makes about 30

Preparation time 20 minutes, plus chilling and cooling

Cooking time 1 hour

350 g (11½ oz) ready-made dessert shortcrust pastry

6 tablespoons cherry conserve

125 g (4 oz) lightly salted butter, softened

125 g (4 oz) golden caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

100 g (3½ oz) ground almonds

125 g (4 oz) self-raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

200 g (7 oz) natural glacé cherries, halved

40 g (1½ oz) flaked almonds

Glaze

50 g (2 oz) icing sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use to line the base and sides of a 28 × 18 cm (11 × 7 inch) shallow baking tin. Chill for 30 minutes.

Line the pastry case with nonstick baking paper and baking beans. Bake in a preheated oven, 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.

Spread the cherry conserve over the base of the pastry case. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, almond extract and ground almonds in bowl, sift in the flour and baking powder and beat with a hand-held electric whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cherries.

Spoon the filling out into the pastry case, spreading it gently so you don’t dislodge the conserve. Level with the back of a spoon and scatter with flaked almonds. Bake for 40 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin.

Make the glaze by beating together the icing sugar and lemon juice. Remove the cake from the tin and drizzle with the glaze. Serve cut into small slices.

For homemade cherry conserve, put 500 g (1 lb) halved and stoned cherries in a large saucepan with the juice of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons water. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until the cherries have softened. Add 500 g (1 lb) granulated sugar and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Transfer to jam jars and cover with lids. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 months.