Cherry Bakewell Slices

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Drain the cherries, then put on treble thickness kitchen paper.
2. 2
   Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 33x23cm shallow tin, allowing it to come 3cm up the sides.
3. 3
   Line the pastry with a piece of foil and weigh it down with rice. Bake for 10 minutes then remove the foil and rice and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
4. 4
   Spread the base with the preserve. Scatter the cherries over the base.
5. 5
   Beat the butter and caster sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the extract. Fold in the ground almonds and flour.
6. 6
   Spread over the pastry base, then sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake for 40 minutes, covering loosely with foil after 25 minutes, to stop it browning too much.
7. 7
   Leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with cherries, if using.