Cherry Bakewell

First, make a quantity of basic shortcrust pastry Weigh the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into manageable chunks and add to the flour. Scoop up some butter and flour in both hands, then rub them into each other. Continue to rub until your mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Weigh out the water and add around three-quarters to the bowl. Swirl a knife around to incorporate it before using your hands to see if it comes together. Add more water, a little at a time (use the whole lot if needed) and work it in until you’ve mopped up any free crumbs from the side of the bowl. This might take a little ‘almost kneading’, but that’s fine. Smoosh your dough flat, wrap it tightly in cling film and chill for as long as you can spare – anything from 15 minutes to 3 days is fine.

Whilst the pastry is resting in the fridge, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and grease a 12-inch tart tin with plenty of butter.

Roll out your chilled pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Roll it up around your rolling pin and place it in the tart tin. You should then trim around the edges, leaving at least a centimetre overhang. Prick the base with a fork and chill for another 15 minutes. Freeze any excess pastry.

Line your pastry case with a square of baking paper weighted down with some loose change or some baking beans. Bake for 15–20 minutes, then remove the paper and bake for another 10 minutes until pale, but obviously cooked.

Whilst the case is baking, start the jam. Put the cherries and raspberries into a pan with the sugar, place on a high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thick and jammy, stirring regularly. This will take about 10 minutes.

Make your frangipane whilst the pastry is baking by mixing the butter and sugar together until paste-like. Make sure the butter is soft before starting; give it a zap in the microwave if necessary. Add the eggs and almonds and mix everything together until it is a pretty even consistency. Unlike flour, you can’t really overmix the almonds, but you can turn them from a ground consistency to one a bit more like peanut-butter, so don’t go mad with the whisk.

When the pastry is baked, trim the excess with a sharp knife. Spread your jam over the base and then cover carefully with frangipane. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the frangipane is springy and golden.