Preheat the oven to 150ºC/Mark 2 and line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Cream together the butter, sugars and almond extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Beat in the egg. Now add the flour, ground almonds and glacé cherries and mix until a soft dough forms.
With floured hands, roll the sticky dough into balls the size of a golf ball and place on the prepared trays, spacing them at least 2 cm apart. Gently press the doughto flatten it a little, then sprinkle generously withthe flaked almonds. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until puffy and pale golden. Set aside to cool on their trays for at least 5 minutes, then use a palette knife to transfer them carefully to a wire rack. Leave until completely cold. Put a sheet of greaseproof or baking paper under the rack before doing the next step.
To make the icing, mix the sugar with the almond extract and water: the mixture should be just runny enough for drizzling. I like to put it into a piping bag, snip off the corner to make a tiny hole, then make zigzag lines to give a pretty finish. Leave the icing to set a little before eating.