Method

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.

Place the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks while the motor is running. Slowly add the water until the dough comes together. Remove from the food processor and press the pastry into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking paper to about 1cm thickness. Cut out circles using the rim of a bowl which is slightly larger than the muffin tins. Gently lift each circle into a muffin tin and press carefully into the corners. Trim the edges, leaving about 2 mm over the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage (keep the excess pastry to one side). Line the pastry bases with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 7 minutes, then remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 5 minutes.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a sheet of baking paper and cut out your desired top. We used a heart cutter but you can use any shape you like.

Place the cherries into a saucepan, sprinkle over the sugar and place over a medium heat. Allow the juices to bubble for a minute or two and then add the cornflour by slaking with a little of the warm cherry juice and stirring until smooth and then adding this back to the pot. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the cherries have cooked down and the berries have a soft, jam-like consistency.

Once the tart cases have been blind baked, spoon about a tablespoon of the cherry filling into each of the cases. Top with the lid of your choice, crimp the edges lightly to seal and brush with an egg wash. Sprinkle with a small amount of brown sugar and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the tops are baked and nicely browned.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly (or completely if you would prefer to serve the tarts at room temperature) and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.