Photo by Julie O’Malley
Summer Fruits Brulee Tartlets
Serves 4
Pastry (this is enough for 8 tarts, so freeze half):
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 Tbsp icing sugar
160g chilled butter, diced
1 egg yolk
approx 3 Tbsp chilled water, could be a bit more
Filling:
4 egg yolks
1 Tbsp cornflour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup full cream milk
mixed summer fruits
icing sugar to sprinkle
Pastry:
Combine flour, almonds and sugar in the bowl of a processor. Pulse till combined. Add butter and pulse only till just combined. Add yolk and enough water to form the dough. When dough comes together, remove from bowl and gently knead till smooth. Won’t take much at all. Form into a ball and cut in half. Wrap one half in plastic and freeze for another time. Cut the other half into 4 pieces and roll out to fit each tin. Using your fingers press into tin (no need to grease). Let the excess pastry hang over the edges of the tins to allow for shrinkage, you can trim after blind baking. Chill for 30 mins.
Preheat oven 200c.
Line tins with baking paper and fill with weights and blind bake for about 20 mins, remove from oven and remove the weights, trim the tops of the pastry and put back in the oven to finish cooking until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Filling:
Beat the yolks with cornflour, sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a whisk. Warm the milk in a small pan and heat till just before coming to a boil, remove from heat and whisk into the egg mixture quickly. Return it all back to the saucepan and heat gently until it thickens, stirring constantly but don’t let it boil. Remove from heat, and press a circle of baking paper or cling wrap onto surface to prevent skin from forming on the top. Leave to cool.
To Assemble:
Remove pastry cases from the tins and place combined fruit over the base of each case. Spoon over the filling and chill tartlets.
Preheat griller to highest setting, or use a cooking blow torch.
Sift the tops of the tarts with icing sugar and either place them under the grill or use the torch to melt the sugar and caramelise.
Place in the fridge until completely chilled.