Raspberry and almond tartlets

(Makes 24)

INGREDIENTS

Shortcrust pastry

300 g (580ml)  cake flour

20 ml               icing sugar

200 g               cold butter

1                      egg yolk

50 ml               cold water

Almond paste

120 g               butter

125 ml (105g) castor sugar

1                      egg

350 ml(140g)   ground almonds

3 ml                 almond essence

30 ml               cake flour

To Assemble

Jar of raspberry jam

100 g               flaked almonds (250 ml)

METHOD

• (To make pastry): Place the cake flour and icing sugar in a food processor and add the butter. Process until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs
• Mix together the egg yolk and water and add it to the flour mixture (motor must be running) and process until the mixture comes together
• Remove pastry from food processor, cover and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge
• (To make almond filling): Cream the butter and the castor sugar and add the egg and almond essence
• Mix in the ground almonds and the cake flour
• (To complete tartlets): Preheat the oven to 180C
• Grease 2 muffin pans VERY VERY well.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cut circles to fit the muffins pans. The pastry should come to halfway up the cups.  Line with the pastry
• Place about 10 ml of raspberry in each pastry round, then cover with some of the almond paste (the jam must be hidden underneath the almond paste to prevent it from oozing out)
• Top each tartlet with a generous sprinkling of the flaked almonds and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes (golden brown and cooked)
• Wait till almost cold before removing from the muffins pans and dust with icing sugar. These tarts are best the next day (if you can wait so long….)