Cherry and Almond Teacake

Each of these charming tea cakes is baked with a whole cherry inside — stem, pit, and all. Be sure to warn guests about the pits, or remove the stems and pits before baking.

1¼ sticks (10 Tbsp.) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
1¼ cups unblanched almonds, finely ground
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
5 large egg whites
4 tsp. Kirsch (cherry brandy)
30 sweet Bing cherries

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). Brush 30 cups of 2 mini-muffin tins with butter and dust lightly with flour.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to sputter, reduce heat to medium. Cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until butter has lightly browned. Skim foam from top, and remove skillet from heat.

Whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, and sea salt in a bowl. Add egg whites, and whisk until smooth. Stir in kirsch. Pour in butter, leaving any dark-brown sediment in skillet, and whisk to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Ladle 1 Tbsp. batter into each buttered muffin cup, filling about halfway. Push a cherry into each, keeping stem end up. With a small spoon, smooth batter over cherries to cover.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen, and unmold. Cakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature overnight.

Makes 30.