For the dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• Salt

For the filling:

• 1¼ pounds sour cherries, washed 1 cup sugar, plus extra
• ½ cup hazelnuts
• 4 ladyfinger cookies
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon dark rum

To serve:

• ¼ cup pitted sweet cherries (such as Bing or Rainier), washed and stems removed

Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Add a pinch of salt, and pulse for 10 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If it seems too dry, add some cold water. Form the dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disk, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling: Remove the stems and pits from the sour cherries. Place the cherries in a saucepan. Add the sugar, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes, or until the cherries are very soft. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Place the hazelnuts and ladyfingers in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, and add the flour, eggs, butter, rum and cooked cherries.

Preheat oven to 350°.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Line a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with the dough, and spread the filling in evenly. Place in the oven, and bake for 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool before serving. Top with the sweet cherries.

Exotic, sweet perfumed aromas of a late harvest dessert wine such as Malvasia will bring out the cherry and hazelnuts.