Strawberry Tartlets - taste of summer

These little tartlets are an illustration of how leftovers can make good puddings.... Whenever I make pastry, I usually have some left over, so I line a mini tartlet tin and freeze it - top tip:  the ones with the loose bottoms are best!    

Having some strawberries and half a jar of home made redcurrant jelly, this was the ideal quick Sunday pudding.     It would also work with raspberries and any soft fruit, preferably the colour of the jelly. The base is Greek yoghurt, but it would also work with custard or whipped cream.  You could make sweet pastry, but I'd rather use the calories for chocolate....    (Please don't confuse this pudding with a horrible bought sponge flan thing with concentric rings of tinned fruit and inch-thick jelly on the top, that is not food!)





Strawberry Tartlets

Shortcrust pastry:
6oz/150g plain flour
3oz/75g butter
1 egg (for richness, you can leave this out)
1 pinch salt
cold water to mix

Make the pastry either by hand or in a food processor.  Line the tartlet tins (approx six), prick the bases, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest the pastry.    They should be baked blind (with greaseproof paper and baking beans/rice inside to stop the pastry rising), but I seldom bother!

Filling:
Greek yoghurt/cold custard/whipped cream
Strawberries/raspberries

Put a good layer of yoghurt in the tartlets and then decorate with the fruit (this is not rocket science)

Top:
Redcurrant jelly (home made preferably), approx a small jar, depending on how many tartlets
1tsp arrowroot or cornflour

Melt the jelly in a pan, add the cornflour/arrowroot which you have mixed with a little water in an eggcup (this is called “slaking”, great word!).   Bring the jelly up to nearly boiling, stirring so that you eliminate lumps.  Sometimes the cornflour/arrowroot is cloudy at first, and will then clear.  

Strain through a mini sieve and pour over the fruit, covering as much as you can without drowning it.     Chill until set. 

These are best made the day they are to be eaten.  


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