Drain the cherries and collect the juice. Put the juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar and spices in a pot and bring to the boil. Stir starch and rum (possibly replace with water if children are eating along) until smooth, then stir into the boiling juice.
Simmer for about 1 minute while stirring. Fold in the cherries. Let the compote cool down.
Bring the milk to the boil, remove the pot from the stove. Stir in poppy seeds, let it swell for about 30 minutes. Chop the almond kernels. Mix mascarpone, quark, 3 tablespoons sugar, vanilla sugar, poppy milk and chopped almonds. Whip cream until stiff and fold in.
Remove spices from the compote. Pour cream and cherry compote into four glasses. Chill for about 1 hour. Roast almond flakes in a pan without fat, take them out. Sprinkle over the desserts just before serving.