Little Gooseberry Tarts

I love summer!  Gooseberries are an unappreciated, easy summer fruit, and their delicious sourness is a far more grown-up taste than rather bland strawberries. Traditionally cooked with elderflower (when the two coincide), I also use elderflower cordial instead of plain sugar to give an extra flavour to the gooseberries.   These little tartlets are a fabulous way of using gooseberries in a light, not over-sweet pudding - very refreshing in this heat.

Little Gooseberry Tarts

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 4-6 depending on size, prick the bases, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest the pastry.  If you haven't got time, the result will still taste good. 

Filling:

1lb/454 g (approx) Gooseberries, topped and tailed

elderflower cordial

sugar

Top:

elderflowers, both for cooking and decoration

Arrange the gooseberries neatly in the tartlet cases, then pour about 1 dessertspoon of elderflower cordial on each, and add sugar, sprinkling it over the top.   Add an elderflower to each, with the stalk facing upwards. 

Cook at 180 deg until the pastry is browning and the gooseberries coloured.  Remove the cooked elderflower as it will be a brown crisp.  Replace with a fresh elderflower and serve hot or cold, with custard or ice cream.