This is an old English recipe for Maids of Honor, spelled “Honour”in Britain. The recipe has been a secret since the time of Henry III, when the tart was first made. I’ve made several versions of tarts over the years, but the best tarts have been from the recipe below, which was published in “Recipes From The Old South” in 1961. These elegant tarts would be a delicious addition to a Sunday brunch.

1 tablespoon black raspberry preserves

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour, sifted

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup ground almond meats

1 tablespoon sherry

Sprinkle of nutmeg

(I sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the tarts before baking)

Rich pastry dough

Line tart shells with a rich pastry, and spread on each 1 tablespoon of preserves. Beat eggs well, slowly adding sugar and flour which have been mixed together. Add butter and almonds, sherry and nutmeg. Spoon this filling on top of preserves in pastry shells and bake in a 350- degree oven for 30 minutes. This is the entire recipe. I used loose bottom tart shells and removed the cooked tarts to small plates.