Wine Cherry Tart

Preparation

1. PASTRY:

   1. Step 1

      Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or process in a food processor until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.

   2. Step 2

      Mix egg yolk with one tablespoon of the water and stir lightly into the flour mixture until the dough can be gathered into a bowl. Moisten with additional water if necessary. This step can also be done in a food processor, in which case, use a scant tablespoon of water at first. You probably will not need any more water because of the speed with which the machine amalgamates the ingredients.

   3. Step 3

      Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

   4. Step 4

      Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

   5. Step 5

      Roll out dough and fit into a nine-inch straight-sided flan ring. Any tears in the somewhat fragile dough can be repaired by simply pressing the edges together or patching them with scraps. Prick the bottom and sides, line the pastry with aluminum foil and weight the foil with dry beans, rice or baking weights. Bake for about seven minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden, about 10 minutes longer. Allow to cool before filling.

2. FILLING AND ASSEMBLY:

   1. Step 6

      Combine cherries, water, wine and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan. Heat until the liquid barely begins to simmer. Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid in the saucepan.

   2. Step 7

      Boil the liquid in the saucepan down until it is reduced to one cup. Mix the gelatin, cornstarch and cold water together until smooth, then stir it into the wine syrup. Cook until thickened and clear. Remove from heat.

   3. Step 8

      Stir in the kirsch.

   4. Step 9

      Arrange poached cherries in the baked, cooled pastry shell in a single layer. Pour the thickened syrup over the cherries and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

   5. Step 10

      Just before serving, whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and almond extract and spread over the tart.