Ingredients

Serves 10 A day ahead, put the cherries in a pan with the alcohol, sugar and lemon zest, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Tip into a bowl and leave to infuse overnight. Drain the cherries, reserving the liquor. To make the pastry, put the flour and cocoa in a food processor and blitz briefly (or sift into a bowl). Add the butter and blitz (or rub in with your fingertips) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolk and just enough milk to bring the mix together in large clumps. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead lightly into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350F). Using a little flour, roll out the pastry quite thinly and use to line a 24cm tart tin, letting the excess hang over the sides. Line with baking parchment and baking beans, stand on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 minutes more. Trim the excess pastry from the edges. Heat the cream in a saucepan to a bare simmer, then take off the heat, add the chocolate and leave to melt, stirring gently a few times. Add the vanilla. Whisk a little of the hot chocolate cream into the eggs, then whisk back into the chocolate cream. Add 1 tablespoon of the cherry poaching liquor for an extra kick (save the rest to make cocktails). Spread the jam on the base of the pastry case, scatter over the drained, infused cherries and pour over the chocolate custard. Bake for about 20 minutes – the centre should still wobble slightly when you take it out of the oven. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Serve cut into small slices, with crème fraîche, if you like. Variation:If fresh cherries aren’t in season, you can make an equally delicious version with dried cherries. Use 200g and cook as above.