Fresh berry tarts recipe

Sweet pastry cases filled with jam and seasonal berries. Perfect for afternoon tea with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 175g (6oz) plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1tbsp caster sugar
• 100g (3½ oz) chilled butter, cut into slivers
• 1 egg yolk, plus 2tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 16tbsp strawberry, raspberry or blueberry fruit conserve or jam (2 tbsp per tart)
• About 60g (2oz) fruit per tart: strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
• Crème fraîche, to serve

You'll also need:

• 8 x 10-12cm (4in) tart tins
• Bakewell paper
• Baking beans

Method

1. To make the pastry: Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor then add butter and pulse to a fine crumb. Add egg yolk and water and mix to a firm dough. Shape into a flat rectangle, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
2. Roll out pastry big enough to cut out five rounds easily, (3mm/¼in thick, or less). Cut out rounds just a little bigger than the tins. Line tins and trim edges. Knead trimmings and roll pastry again large enough to line three more tins. Prick pastry base and sides with a fork. Chill while oven heats up to gas mark 6 or 200°C.
3. Line each pastry case with a square of Bakewell paper. Put in baking beans. Bake blind, on a shelf near the bottom of the oven, for 10 mins.
4. Take out beans and paper and return to oven for 5 mins.
5. Spread 2 tbsp of conserve in each tart. Return tarts to the oven for 15 mins. Cool in tins, then on a wire rack.
6. When ready to serve, cut strawberries into wedges and arrange on top, or spoon on raspberries or blueberries. Dredge with icing sugar. Serve with crème fraîche.