(makes 6 small or 4 medium size tartlets)
Preparation time – 30mins
Cooking time – 20mins
Well, it seems the weather forecasters got it right. And Saturday was seeminlgy the last day of summer. While the sun was still shining, I thought I'd make some late summer tartlets to take to friends as a starter for dinner in the evening.
So here are my little tasty tartlets that are the ideal size for a starter, or a light lunch. They're best served warm from the oven (but can be eaten cold) with
some onion marmalade/chutney and a lightly dressed rocket salad on the side.
Ingredients
Short Crust Parmesan Pastry
250g Plain Flour
125g Butter
1 egg
5-10g grated Parmesan
pinch of salt (optional as parmesan is quite salty)
Tartlet Filling
100g Feta cheese
1 red onion
30g Spinach
20g Pistachios
5 eggs
Salt and Pepper
pinch of mixed herbs or sprig of fresh mint
Pastry
Crumble together the butter and flour until a breadcrumb
texture forms. Add grated parmesan, pinch of salt and 1 egg. Work with hands
until it combines into a dough/pastry. Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out
until 5mm thick and cut into circles a little larger than the tartlet tin, or
mini pie tins work just as well. (I use Kuhn Rikon mini round pie dishes)
Line tins with the pastry, pressing firmly into the base
and corners. Prick the bases with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming. Leave
to cool in the fridge for 20mins before placing in a pre-heated oven.
Bake for 12mins @ 180ºC (Gas Mark 4)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to one side while preparing the filling.
Tartlet filling
Finely slice the red onion, crumble the feta, crush the pistachios
and finely chop the spinach and sprinkle a little of each ingredient into each
pastry case.
Crack 5 eggs into a jug, and beat lightly. Season with some
salt and pepper, add some dried mixed herbs or finely chopped mint, and pour
over the contents of the tartlets.
Bake for 15-20mins @ 180ºC (Gas Mark 4) until golden and
bubbling.
Remove from the oven and serve while still warm. Best served with onion chutney/marmalade and rocket salad.
You could even adapt the recipe, and use a 12 x muffin/cupcake tin, and make miniature versions to serve as canapés.
