Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray the baking pan with a vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.

2. Mix 1/2 cup margarine, the white sugar, egg yolks, almond extract and flour until the ingredients are well blended.

3. Roll the dough into balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Place one ball in each tart cup and press the dough down in the center to make a deep indentation for the filling.

4. Bake the tart shells 8 to 10 minutes until they are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 F.

5. Cut 12 maraschino cherries in half and place them on a paper towel to dry. Drain the remaining cherries and chop them into tiny pieces.

6. Bring to a rolling boil 1/2 cup margarine, the syrup and the confectioners sugar. Add the chopped cherries and continue to boil until the filling just starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and spoon the filling into the shells.

7. Bake the tarts 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately top with a cherry half. Allow the tarts to cool before serving.