Cherry Tartlets

Stone two pounds of Kentish cherries; put them into a small sugar-boiler with three-quarters of a pound of pounded sugar; toss them in this, then set them on the stove-fire, and allow them to boil about five minutes: the cherries must then be strained on a sieve, and the syrup reduced to about one-third part of its quantity, then added to the cherries, and kept in a small basin. Line two dozen small tartlet pans with short-paste or tart-paste (the flats being stamped out with a fluted cutter); knead as many small pieces of paste as there are tartlets, and after dipping them in flour, press one of them into each of the tartlets; place them on a baking-sheet, and put them in the oven (moderately heated) to be baked of a light colour. When they are nearly done, withdraw them, and take out the pieces of paste; shake some fine sugar over them, and then glaze them with the red-hot salamander. Just before serving the tartlets, fill them with the cherries.

Note.—Raspberries, currants, gooseberries, and all kinds of plums may be prepared for tartlets by gently boiling them for a few minutes in about a pint of syrup; the fruit should then be drained on a sieve, and the syrup reduced to one-third of its original quantity, and kept with the fruit in a small basin to fill the tartlets with, as in the foregoing case.