Spray oil to prepare the baking dish.

Soak the cherries in the rum for one to two hours, stirring occasionally. Slice the butter and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour and salt together.

Pulse butter in food processor until the size of peas. Do not overly process. Add flour mixture and pulse again quickly until mixed. Butter should still be visible.

Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together well and can be rolled into two balls. Wrap balls tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll out each ball of dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick, then cut into two 6-inch squares. *

Drain the cherries, reserving the rum, and pat dry. Parcel out ¼ of the cherry mixture into the center of each square. Using your finger, moisten the edges of each pastry with water and pinch the edges together to form a rough pyramid-like shape. Decorate with leftover pastry and assemble in prepared baking dish.

Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer until cherries are nice and tender.

Serve warm with ice cream or hard rum sauce.

*Tips for handling the pastry: I prefer to roll the dough between pieces of parchment for easy handling, which works best if the dough stays cold. Roll out one ball at a time leaving the other in the refrigerator. Once you roll and cut the first ball, put the squares and any decorative pieces back into the refrigerator until you are ready to fill. Do the same with the second ball. As you fill, take the squares out one at a time. It helps to use a template made from aluminum foil or cardboard. Because it is impossible to roll a perfect rectangle, you might have to patch the second square in each batch and it will be fine.

Hard Rum Sauce

Using a pastry cutter, cut the sugar into the butter. Add the flavorings and beat with a mixer until smooth. Scoop into a serving bowl or jar and cover it tightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.