Dessert

Cherry & Almond Tarts Recipe

ByBen Miller December 3, 2025December 3, 2025

Introduction

These cherry and almond tarts combine a crisp, buttery pastry with a sweet cherry jam filling and a rich almond topping. Perfect for afternoon tea or a light dessert, they offer a delightful balance of flavors and textures that’s sure to impress.

There are eight round almond-topped cakes with a glossy white drizzle on top, arranged on a black cooling rack. Each cake has two light golden brown layers with a creamy filling visible in the middle, and some almond flakes scattered on top and around them. One cake is broken in half, showing a soft, airy yellow inside with a dark red jam layer. The cooling rack is placed on a wooden surface with some crumbs and almond flakes around, and a blurry background with a white cup and a white marbled texture. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

375g pack all-butter puff pastry
75g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
12 rounded tsp morello cherry jam
75g plain sponge or Madeira cakes
100g butter, softened
75g ground almonds
75g golden caster sugar
2 medium eggs
½ tsp almond extract
25g flaked almonds
100g icing sugar, sieved to decorate

Instructions

Step 1: Very thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out 12 circles, about 9cm in diameter, using a fluted cutter if available. Use these to line a bun tin.
Step 2: Spread 1 rounded teaspoon of the morello cherry jam in the bottom of each tart case.
Step 3: Whizz the sponge or Madeira cake to crumbs in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the self-raising flour, softened butter, ground almonds, golden caster sugar, eggs, and almond extract. Beat together until smooth.
Step 4: Divide the almond mixture evenly among the tart cases, spreading a little with the back of a teaspoon to cover the cherry jam.
Step 5: Scatter the flaked almonds over the top of each tart.
Step 6: Place the tarts in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours. Once frozen, wrap them well in cling film and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/gas mark 4, placing a baking sheet inside.
Step 8: Remove the frozen tarts from the freezer, unwrap, and loosely cover with a sheet of foil. Place the tarts on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes until golden, removing the foil halfway through baking.
Step 9: Allow the tarts to cool slightly. Mix a splash of water into the sieved icing sugar to create a runny icing, then drizzle it over the tarts. Leave to set before serving.

Tips & Variations

If you prefer not to freeze before baking, roll the pastry very thinly to prevent excessive puffing, or use sweet shortcrust pastry for a more stable case.

Storage

Store any leftover tarts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm gently in the oven at a low temperature until heated through. The tarts also freeze well for up to 2 months before baking, as detailed in the recipe.