Tartlets
From: Leigh
Basic Tartlet Pastry
Sift 3/4 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup self-raising flour, 2 tabs custard powder, 2 tabs icing sugar (I think you call this powdered sugar, but this may not be right) tog, rub in 125 g (4 oz) butter or margarine, add enough iced water (approx 1 tabs) to make ingredients cling together. Knead lightly on floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic food wrap, refrigerate 30 mins. Roll pastry between two pieces of plastic food wrap to about 2mm thick. Cut into 8cm rounds with sharp fluted cutter, place into patty pans.
Bake cases in moderately hot over for 10 mins, or until light golden brown; cool in pans.
If unfilled, baked tartlet cases are required, place rounds of pastry into patty pans, pierce will with fork or skewer.Makes 25.
Apricot Pecan Tartlets
25 Unbaked tartlet cases
Filling
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tab self-raising flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teas grated orange rind
1/4 cup apricot jam
Cook apricots in pan with a little boiling water for about 5 minutes (I do it in the microwave, but not for that long) until soft; drain and cool. Beat sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mizer until thick and creamy. Stir in flour, apricots, pecans and orange rind. Spoon half teaspoon of jam into each tartlet case, top with apricot filling. Bake in moderate over 15 mins or until golder brown. Stand for a few minutes, remove from pans, cool. Can be served with a little whipped cream, pecans and a small piece of fresh apricot (or use good tinned ones) Remember that Australia tablespoons are 4 teaspoons, not 3 ie 20ml not 15ml.
Enjoy
Leigh
in Canberra, Australia, enjoying her day off.