Dame Judi Dench's Mini Cherry Bakewells Recipe

Dame Judi is supporting Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday 26th September. For more info go www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee or to donate £5 text CUPCAKE to 70550

Ingredients

• 375g pack shortcrust pastry
• Plain flour for dusting

For the filling:

• 75g butter
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 75g ground almonds
• zest 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 12 tsps morello cherry jam

For the topping:

• 125g icing sugar, sifted
• 12 fresh cherries

Method

1. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out 12 circles using 9cm cutter. Line a 12-holed muffin tin with the pastry discs. Chill for 30 minutes, or until firm.

2. Heat oven to 200°C/gas 6. To make the filling beat together the butter, sugar, egg, ground almonds lemon zest, almond extract and flour, until well combined. Divide the jam between the pastry cases, then top with the almod filling and gently smooth the surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until risen, lightly golden, and a skewer inserted into the topping comes out clean. Remove from the tins and cool on wire racks.

3. Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick, but slightly runny icing. Spoon the icing over the cooled tarts and let it drizzle down the sides here and there. Pop a cherry on top and leave to set before serving.