Black Cherry Tarts

Delectable tangy and sweet and  plump black cherries baked  in flaky melt in the mouth pastry.

Ingredients:

480 grams black ripe cherries
120 grams Sugar
60 ml water
1 teaspoon cherry essence
Ready  rolled puff pastry.
Plain flour for rolling pastry and icing sugar for dusting.

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan add the water and sugar and simmer on low heat till sugar melts.
2. Wash and remove stones from cherries and add to pan with the cherry essence.
3. Simmer the cherries in sugar syrup till they start to break down and syrup becomes thick.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool
5. On a  flat surface dusted  with flour roll out the puff pasty sheet and cut into 3 inch circles with cookie cutter.
6. Place the circles on a greased baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. On the pasty circles with water wet the position 12 o clock, 3 o clock , 6 o clock and 9 o clock with water and pinch together  really hard at this points to form a square basket. Leave to dry for 10 minutes otherwise baskets will fall  open during baking.

8. Fill baskets with cherry compote  and bake in pre heated oven  220 degrees / 400 farenheit for 20 minutes till parcels are golden brown.

9. Remove from oven and cool .
Once cooled dust with icing sugar .