Strawberry mascarpone tartlets recipe

These tartlets are perfect if you fancy a little bit of pastry at afternoon tea

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 125g (4oz) plain flour
• 60g (2oz) unsalted butter
• 1 level tbsp caster sugar
• 1 medium egg yolk

For the filling:

• 250g (8oz) carton mascarpone
• Zest of 1 lime, plus 2tbsp juice
• 3-4 level tbsp icing sugar
• 250-350g (8-12oz) strawberries
• 2 level tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 4 x 12cm (4½ in) fluted flan tins

Method

1. Set the oven at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 7).
2. To make the pastry: Place the flour, butter and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and whizz until the mixture forms fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2tbsp water and whizz again until the mixture just starts to bind together.
3. Remove the pastry from the food processor and form it into a ball, then wrap in a plastic bag and chill for at least 10 mins. If you don't have a food processor, rub the butter into the flour and then stir in the caster sugar. Add the egg yolk and sufficient water to bind the pastry together and then chill it.
4. Divide pastry into four and use a portion to line each flan tin. Prick the pastry on the base of the tins and then chill for 10-15 mins. Blind-bake the pastry cases for 10-15 mins until the pastry is a light golden colour.
5. Remove the cases from the oven and leave them to cool for about 5 mins, then remove them from the flan tins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the filling:Beat together mascarpone, half the lime zest and all of the juice. Stir in icing sugar to taste. Divide mixture between pastry cases and smooth out.
7. Reserve four small strawberries and cut the rest into quarters. Arrange strawberries over the mascarpone filling, with whole strawberries in the centre and quartered ones fanned out, and alternating skin and cut sides. If necessary, cut the tops off the whole Strawberries if they are too high.
8. Warm the redcurrant jelly with a little water until it's runny, then brush it over the top of the strawberries. Sprinkle over the remaining lime zest.