GBBO Maids of Honour Tarts

Shopping list

• 320 g all-butter puff pastry — or homemade rough puff pastry

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• 1 dusting plain flour — for dusting

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• 250 g curd cheese — or whole-milk ricotta

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• 60 g unsalted butter — melted and cooled slightly

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• 60 g caster sugar

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• 1 large whole egg

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• 1 large egg yolk — additional

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• 1 whole unwaxed lemon — finely grated zest and juice

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• 40 g ground almonds

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• 1 tbsp fine plain flour

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• 1 dollop per tart lemon curd — about 1/2 tsp per tart

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• 1 dusting icing sugar — optional for dusting before serving

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Step by step

1. 1

   Thoroughly brush a 12-hole standard muffin tin or dedicated tartlet tins with melted butter to ensure easy release.

2. 2

   Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm.

3. 3

   Using a round pastry cutter roughly slightly larger than your tin holes, cut out rounds of pastry. Gently press each round into the greased tin cavities.

4. 4

   Place the lined tin into the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Place the curd cheese (or ricotta) into a mixing bowl and beat it briefly with a wooden spoon or whisk until smooth and creamy.

6. 6

   Whisk in the melted butter and caster sugar until fully combined.

7. 7

   Beat in the whole egg and the extra egg yolk, followed by the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.

8. 8

   Gently fold in the ground almonds and plain flour until the mixture is uniform and drops easily from a spoon.

9. 9

   Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

10. 10

    Spoon the curd mixture into the chilled pastry cases, filling them about three-quarters full to allow for a slight rise.

11. 11

    Drop a neat half-teaspoon of lemon curd right into the dead centre of each filled tart.

12. 12

    Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove from the oven and let them sit in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.