Start with the cherry pastry. Put pitted cherries in a small saucepan with sugar and a little water. Stir over medium heat for one minute or until the sugar dissolves. Bring up to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cherries are tender and the mixture reduces by half. Leave it to cool slightly. Add the cherry mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the puree into a small bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Add flour, butter, icing sugar, almond meal, cinnamon, and a few drops of food coloring to a food processor and process until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the cherry puree and the egg yolk process until the dough comes together then turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Reserve a third of the pastry and keep it covered in the fridge. Divide the rest of the pastry into six even portions roll out each portion between two sheets of baking paper to a three millimeter disc. Take three eight centimeter and three six centimeter fluted tart tins with removable bases and line them with the pastry. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. Meanwhile for the cherry filling, add pitted cherries and sugar to a saucepan. After five minutes, the cherries should start to release their juices combine corn flour and water in a small bowl, add to the cherry mixture, stir for another 2 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond essence leave the filling to cool. Blind bake the pie cases. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line the pastry cases with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice place on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 8 minutes. Take out the paper and white rice and bake for another 8 minutes or until the pastry is light golden. Spoon the cherry filling into the pastry cases. Roll out the reserve pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a two millimeter thick disk use a nine centimeter pastry cutter to cut three discs from the pastry. Using a two centimeter star and heart cutter, cut out shapes from the center of the discs. Put the pastry discs onto the larger pies and decorate the smaller pies with the cut shapes. Lightly brush the pastry with egg white and then sprinkle with a little sugar. Pop in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is light golden and the filling is heated through. Leave for 5 minutes to cool slightly before serving dust with icing sugar for the perfect finish. Made from scratch with fresh cherry pastry and filling these are a fun twist on traditional christmas mince pies.