This is made with a fluted pastry shell and fills it with a layer of almond flavored cream (Frangipane) and pitted sweet Bing Cherries. To make the cherries glisten, after the tart comes out of the oven each cherry is lightly brushed with red currant jelly. Enjoy!

Sweet Pastry Crust:
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Frangipane (Almond Cream):
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond meal (flour)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

**NOTE** Just tasted this and it came out a little thin for my liking. I would definitely double this Frangipane filling.

Topping:
3/4 lb (+/-) sweet cherries, pitted. (If cherries are not in season you can find bing cherries in your freezer section.)

Glaze:
1/4 cup red currant jelly

Sweet Pastry Crust: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your mixer and beat until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. (Don’t over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color.) Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Have ready an 8-9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into an 11-12 inch circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.

When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Unroll onto top of tart pan. Never pull pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan). Gently lay in pan and with a small floured piece of pastry, lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry. With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan. Roll rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry. Prick bottom of dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten in the flour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill tart pan with pie weights, rice or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface. Bake the crust for 25 minutes or until the crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 for next step.

Frangipane: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the almond meal and flour and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Spread the cream on the bottom of the pastry crust.

Place the pitted cherries evenly over the frangipane. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the frangipane is puffed and light brown in color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, gently heat the red currant jelly in a small saucepan until of spreading consistency. Then with a small pastry brush, lightly brush each cherry with the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 – 9-10 inch tart.