To Make the Shortcrust Pastry:

(This recipe is for making a 9 " pie crust, but I used a 4" x 6" pie pan, and used the leftover pie dough to make individual mini pies)

Transfer the cocoa powder, icing sugar, flour and salt into a mixing bowl, or into a food processor. Add the chilled butter. Use the tips of your fingers to mix in the ingredients so that the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly, so that the warmth of your fingers doesn't soften the butter. A tip I follow is to keep transferring the ingredients into the fridge if I feel they are warming up.

Add the iced water into the flour and butter mixture.

At this point, its best to work with a pastry cutter, but since I don't have one, I just use my hands to bring the dough together. The mixture should hold easily, once combined.

On a cool bench-top, lightly knead the pastry with your fingertips for a few seconds. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap well in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

Once rested, press the pastry dough into the pie pan you are using, instead of rolling it out. This helps in attaining a more crumbly crust.

Transfer the tart pan to the freezer and let it sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, begin preheating the oven to 180C.

Once chilled, fill the crust with dried beans, and bake it at 180C for 20 minutes untill firm.

Once done, take out the pan, and let the crust cool down while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over simmering water (also known as the double boiler method) stirring occasionally. As soon as it starts to melt, remove it from the heat and stir. Once there is no trace of any lumps, fold in the crème fraîche.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg and the sugar. Pour this into the chocolate mixture, mixing it well.

Pour this filling into the prepared and cooled crust, and bake for 6-7 minutes at 180C.

Then add the cherries on the top of the semi-baked tart filling and continue baking for a further 6-7 minutes at 150C.