More Recipes

Recipes: Sweet Tart Cases

These are perfect for fresh fruit tarts, either as individual tartlets or as a large cutting tart. Fill with a layer of Patissiers Cream in the bottom and decorate with the fresh fruit of your choice (or a fruit assortment). They can also be re-baked for making tarte citron or a frangipane.

Quick Strawberry Tartlets

Makes 8

Ingredients

8 x 9.5cm All Butter Shortcrust Tartlet (892.47.108)

200ml crème fraîche
(or use half cream cheese and half crème fraîche for a slightly firmer filling)
500g fresh strawberries, hulled

4 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
about 1_ tablespoons orange juice or water

Method
  1. If using, soften the cream cheese a little by beating it with the crème fraîche. About an hour before serving them, spoon the crème fraîche or cream cheese mixture into each tartlet case, spreading all over the base.
  2. Now place the larger strawberries in the centre of each tartlet; cut the smaller ones in half and lay these around.
  3. Put the redcurrant jelly and orange juice into a small saucepan over a gentle heat and melt together. Spoon or brush it over the strawberry filling.

Plum Frangipane Tart

Ingredients

1 x 22 cm sweet tart case
4 to 6 ripe plums, depending on size
75g ground almonds
75g golden caster sugar
75g butter, softened
25g plain flour, sifted
2 large eggs, beaten
Flaked almonds to decorate

Preparation
  1. Halve and stone plums.
  2. Slice each half to produce 4 to 6 even pieces.
  3. Arrange in the base of the pastry case to fill (2 or 3 concentric circles should do it).
  4. Beat together butter, ground almonds, flour, sugar and eggs till fluffy.
  5. Spread the mixture over the plums and smooth the top.
  6. Scatter over the flaked almonds.
  7. Bake at 180°C for approximately 40 mins until set in the centre.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

2 x Pidy 22 cm sweet tart cases
1 kg pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
75g light brown sugar
1 dsp brandy
3 large eggs
250ml single cream

Preparation
  1. Scoop out the seeds and put the pumpkin in an oven tray, cut side up. Bake at 190°C for 40 minutes. If the pumpkin starts to colour, cover loosely with foil.
  2. Scoop out the flesh from the pumpkin and blend to a smooth purée - only 500g is needed.
  3. When the purée has cooled, place it in a bowl and add the spices, sugar and brandy. Beat the mixture well before adding the eggs and cream, each in turn, until everything is smooth.
  4. Pour it into the tart cases and bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. When ready, a knife should come clean from the middle of the pie.

Calvados Apple Tartlet

Calvados Apple Tartlet
Ingredients for 4 servings
4 Sweet Tartlets 11cm
4 cooking apples
40g butter for the caramel:
125g caster sugar 125g icing sugar
2 tbsp flaked almonds 3 dsp water
4 scoops vanilla ice cream 100ml cream
fresh mint leaves 3 dsp Calvados
½ lemon

Preparing the filling
  1. Peel three of the apples, core and cut into cubes.
  2. Sauté the apple cubes in a pan with some butter, sprinkle with sugar and caramelise lightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  3. Toast the flaked almonds.
  4. Place the water and sugar in a pan and heat slowly, stirring occasionally. Bring to the boil and allow the sugar to cook to a light caramel.
  5. Deglaze with calvados, and add the cream. Leave on the heat for a short time then remove and allow to become lukewarm.
Presentation
  1. Peel the remaining apple and remove the seeds. Cut into thin segments and cover with lemon juice.
  2. Place each sweet tartlet on the serving plate, and arrange the apple segments in the shape of a fan.
  3. Fill the tartlet with the caramelised apples and place a scoop of ice cream on top.
  4. Coat with the Calvados caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
  5. Decorate with mint leaves.

Strawberry Tart

Ingredients (6 portions)
1 Sweet tart base 28 cm
for the pastry cream: for the filling:
500 ml milk 1 kg strawberries
4 egg yolks 400 gr apricot jelly
125 gr caster sugar 200 ml cream
50 gr cornstarch 50 gr icing sugar
1 pinch vanilla sugar

Preparing the pastry cream
  1. Mix the cornstarch in a cup with some of the milk
  2. Mix the egg yolks in a bowl with the caster sugar, then slowly add the cornstarch/milk mixture a little at a time while continuing to whisk
  3. Bring to the boil the remaining milk with a pinch of vanilla sugar
  4. Remove from the heat, add the egg/sugar mixture and whisk together thoroughly
  5. Bring to the boil again for a few seconds while continuing to whisk then remove from the heat, cover and allow to cool
Preparing the filling
  1. Hull the strawberries and cut in half
  2. Fill the tart base with pastry cream using a piping bag and cover with the strawberries
  3. Whisk the cream and sugar until it becomes firm
  4. Heat the apricot jelly until it becomes liquid and coat the fruits
  5. Allow to cool then decorate with the whipped cream