Maids Of Honour Traditional English Custard Cheesecake Tarts Recipes

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 220C/450F/gas7 and lightly grease a 12 hole bun or muffin tin.
• Roll out the pastry and stamp out 12 fluted rounds - try to make sure that they are at least 1/4" bigger than needed, as the puff pastry shrinks during baking.
• Line the bun tray with the pastry rounds and chill them whilst making the filling.
• Place the curd cheese or cottage cheese into a large mixing bowl and add the beaten eggs, cream, sugar, orange flower water or rose water and almonds.
• Mix well and then add the mixed dried fruit, mixing again well.
• Spoon the filling into the pastry cases and bake the tarts for 15-20 minutes or until well-risen, golden brown & firm to the touch.
• Allow them to cool a little and then carefully remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Arrange them on an attractive cake platter and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.

Steps:

• Move oven rack to bottom position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 2-inch tart tins.
• Roll out pastry and cut 12 3-inch circles. Fit one pastry circle into each tart tin. Spread one teaspoon of raspberry jam into the bottom of each tart shell.
• In a medium mixing bowl, cream together softened butter or margarine and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg. Add flour, baking powder, and almond extract and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter into each tart shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until risen and firm. Dust tarts with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 425F degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour with the diced butter and the scant teaspoonfuls of shortening. Cover and place the bowl into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, place the eggs, lemon juice, rosewater or orange-flower water, and a pinch of salt and put in the refrigerator. Using a food processor (or by hand, but this will take some elbow grease), blend the fats and flour until the pastry just begins to come together, yet still is a little coarse and crumbly. Take care not to over-blend, as this process goes quickly, so watch carefully. Gradually feed the liquids in through the feeder spout until the pastry is almost coming together. Scoop it out onto a flour-dusted work surface and knead a few times with your hands, then form into two discs, wrap each disc in cling wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling out.
• While pastry is chilling, make the filling. Cut lengthwise down the vanilla bean with the tip of a sharp knife. Place the vanilla bean with the cream into a saucepan, and heat to just under the boiling point over a medium heat. Do not boil or it will curdle. Off the heat and remove the bean, scraping some of the seeds into the cream. Now add the butter, sugar, ground almonds, egg, lemon zest and juice, and the rosewater or orange-flower water, stirring well to combine. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
• Roll out half the pastry, cut out 12 rounds with a 3-inch round cutter, and place into a 12-hole tart or muffin pan, pressing down with your fingers so they're well lined. Spoon half the filling into the pastry cases (remembering you'll have a second batch to do). Leave a good inch below the rim, as the custard will rise up as it bakes. Dust lightly with some fresh nutmeg and transfer carefully to the pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the custard's golden and puffy.
• Let the tarts sit in the pan for a few minutes before standing, unmolded, on a wire rack to cool. Dust tops with icing sugar.
• When the pan is cool, repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Leave the tarts to cool a little before serving (arrange them on a pretty serving plate or silver platter), but they are best eaten still slightly warm.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until smaller than peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of milk at a time over the dough until moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 inch circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Press circles into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased mini muffin cups. set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together 2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Beat in the eggs and sherry, then stir in the ground almonds. Place 1/4 teaspoon of jam into the bottom of the lined cups. Cover with 1 tablespoon of the almond mixture.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before removing from muffin tins to cool on wire racks.