Cherry & coconut tart

SERVES 8-10

Fresh cherries burst with deliciousness in this tart.

400g sweet, short pastry

1 egg, separated

2 tbsp raw sugar

2 tbsp jam – any flavour you

like (I used plum)

½ tsp mixed spice

2 cups (approx) fresh cherries,

de-stoned and halved

1 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp caster sugar

Ice cream and/or whipped

cream, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180oC.

Line a tray with baking paper.

2 Roll the pastry out to 5mmthick on a lightly floured bench. Trim the pastry into a neat square or rectangle and transfer to the prepared oven tray. Brush the edges with lightly beaten egg yolk, then neatly fold over a 2cm border and sprinkle with raw sugar. Prick the base all over and bake until golden – about 12 minutes.

3 Stir the jam and mixed spice together, then spread over the cooked pastry base, within its border. Arrange the cherry halves on top.

4 In a small bowl, mix the egg white, coconut and caster sugar together. Spoon this mixture over the cherries. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the coconut is golden (watch this as it browns very quickly) and the cherries are cooked.

5 Serve warm or cool with ice cream, whipped cream or both!