Pretty in pink, these stunning raspberries and rose curd tarts are well worth the extra effort. Making the curd and pastry in advance in fact makes the cooking process quick and simple, allowing you time to decorate with precision.
Main INGREDIENTS
- Fruit
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 200g plain flour
- 100g salted butter, cubed
- 40g icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
FOR THE RASPBERRY CURD
- 300g fresh raspberries
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 lemon, juice & zest
- 1 tsp rose water
- 30g corn flour
- 2 eggs, separated
- 75g butter
FOR THE MERINGUE
- Reserved egg whites
- 100g sugar
TO DECORATE
- 50g fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp pistachios
- Fresh mint leaves
YOU WILL NEED:
- Large cookie cutter
- Baking beans
- Parchment paper
- Blow torch
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Method
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1First, make the pastry. In a food processor combine the flour, butter, and icing sugar and pulse to form fine breadcrumbs. Crack in the egg and blitz again just until the pastry starts to come together. If the pastry is still a little crumbly, add a little water.
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2Remove the pastry from the food processor onto a floured surface and knead together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge until required.
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3In the meantime, make the raspberry curd. Place the raspberries in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pass the raspberry puree through a fine sieve to remove all the seeds.
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4Pour the raspberry puree into a saucepan over a low to medium heat. Add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, rose water and cornflour. Whisk over a medium heat until thick and bubbling which will take approximately 5 - 6 minutes.
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5When the puree is thick, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add 2 egg yolks (reserving the whites for the meringue later) and whisk in the butter. When well combined, return to the hob and whisk gently over a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes until you reach ribbon thickness.
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6Remove the curd from the heat and allow to cool and thicken further.
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7Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
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8Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and place on a floured surface. Roll out the pastry to 1cm thickness and using a large cookie cutter (1 or 2 cm larger than the tart tin), cut out 6 circles of pastry. After greasing with a little butter, gently press the pastry circles into the tart holes, carefully cutting away any excess pastry.
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9Prick the base on the pastry cases and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes - chilling your pastry again will help shrinkage.
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10Once cooled, line each tart case with a little parchment paper and fill with baking beans or alternatively rice, dried beans, or pulses. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
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11Remove the cases from the oven, and carefully pour in the cooled curd and return to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.
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12In the meantime, make the meringue. Place the reserved egg whites in a meticulously clean bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Add the sugar slowly, one spoon at a time, whisking until fully incorporated before adding the next. Repeat until all the sugar is combined and a thick glossy meringue is formed.
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13Remove the tarts from the oven and allow to fully cool and set. When cooled, pipe on the meringue decoratively before lightly toasting using a blow torch.
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14Finally finish with fresh raspberries, pistachios, and mint leaves.
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15Cook’s Notes
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16Make sure to reserve the egg whites when making the raspberry curd - these can be used to make the meringue for decoration.
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17When making the curd, what is ‘ribbon thickness’? To ensure the curd is thick enough to set, you must ensure you reach the ribbon stage of thickness. This is when the curd easily slips off the back of a spoon into the pan but leaves a ribbon trail on the surface of the curd. Leave to fully cool and it will thicken further.
