So here we are, on the cusp of autumn. Despite that late, gorgeous rally of sun and clear skies at the start of the month, we’re definitely into the cooler temperatures now, and the garden is starting to close down for the growing season.

A few fruits remain, and we must take advantage of these dwindling treasures before they’re gone until next year, which, I hope we all agree, is very much better on the gardening front than 2012 has been.

It might have been a record-breaking year for leaping through the air, running very fast or pedalling like mad around France, but there were certainly few gold medals to be had in the horticultural categories.

As the last of the cherries go from the shelves, I always think it timely to make one last tart, which I feel is one of the very best ways to showcase these delicious sweet-sour fruits.

There is magic in the combination of deep red cherries and the fluffy, buttery almond-rich texture of a good, homemade frangipane.

Pop both of these inside a shell of buttery shortcrust pastry and you have a tart to be proud of, crunchy and chewy, with a richness and acidity all in perfect harmony.

Delicious when served with a cup of tea mid-afternoon, or blinged-up as a dinner dessert, with a scoop of some decadent rich ice-cream and perhaps a few kirsch-soaked cherries to add a boozy ‘pop’ to the plate.

Frangipane is amazing stuff, and I use it in many tart recipes, as it adds a texture and solidity to a dish, especially where soft fruit is involved.

The name comes from the Italian ‘frangere il pane’, literally ‘break the bread’, and the Roman family name Frangipani appeared from this etymological starting point sometime in the 11th Century.

Clearly the Frangipanis got about, as it was a French courtier and perfumier to Louis XIII, named Frangipani, whose name was given to the flowering Plumeria trees of the tropics, whose scent is often compared to sweet almonds.

The modern recipe has changed little since the early days, and is essentially a paste of sugar, eggs and almonds, with a little flour added for stability. When the paste cooks, the egg expands and the almonds absorb the moisture, resulting in a delectable light, fluffy filling with a gentle chewiness and, sometimes, a slight crunch to the crust.

It’s easy to make, keeps for a week or so, and can be used in so many recipes. It’s even great dolloped into ramekins with fresh fruit and baked as a pudding in its own right. Especially with a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet.

But for now, let’s keep it traditional, and make ourselves a lovely French-style cherry tart, and try to remember those few fleeting days of summer when it wasn’t chucking it down or blowing a gale. Aprons on!

For the sweet pastry:

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

150g unsalted butter, diced and chilled

50g golden unrefined caster sugar

A pinch of Maldon salt

2 fresh medium-size free-range egg yolks

For the filling:

200g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

200g ground almonds

200g unrefined golden caster sugar

2 fresh free-range eggs

2 fresh free-range egg yolks

40g plain flour, well-sieved

A pinch of Maldon salt

1 punnet fresh cherries, de-stoned

A handful of flaked almonds

Extras:

One 23cm or two 15cm straight-sided pie dishes or tart tins

Greaseproof paper and baking beans/rice

Cooling rack

Method:

First, let’s make the frangipane. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until very pale and fluffy. Work in the ground almonds, then whisk in the eggs and yolks one by one. Add a tiny pinch of salt, fold in the flour, and leave at room temperature until required.

Now to make the pastry. Whizz the butter, flour, salt and sugar in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yolks and pulse until the mixture forms a soft dough. Press out into a loose disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C / Gas 4.

On a floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to a thickness of just under a centimetre. Carefully line the tart case, making sure the pastry reaches the corners, and there’s a little excess all around the top.

Prick the base with a fork several times. Make a disc of greaseproof paper that will fit snugly inside the tart case, with plenty of excess. Screw it tightly into a ball, then unfold it – this allows it to reach the corners more efficiently.

Fill the paper with baking beans and chill for a further 15 minutes, then bake for 15-20 minutes until set and lightly golden in colour.

Remove from the oven, and gently take out the filled greaseproof paper disc. If the pastry is still a little soggy, pop the uncovered tart back into the oven for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat down to 165°C / Gas 2. Spread the frangipane mixture around the base of the tart, and make indentations with a clean finger, popping a cherry in each depression.

Top with a generous sprinkling of flaked almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the frangipane is risen slightly and a nice deep golden colour.

Remove from the oven and cool before slicing.