Raspberry ricotta tarts

Tam West

There is nothing quite like homemade pastry for flavour and texture. I have used shallow patty tins (5cm x 1cm deep) and a 6cm cutter, but you can make 12 and use deeper tins and an 8cm cutter. Served warm or at room temperature, these tarts are best eaten on the day they are made as the pastry does not remain crisp. Serve for afternoon tea or as a dessert with whipped cream flavoured with vanilla and extra fresh raspberries.

For the sweet short pastry

125 g	Butter, at room temperature
½ cup	Icing sugar
2	Egg yolks
1 ½ cups	Plain flour
1 pinch	Salt

For the filling

2 large	Eggs, lightly beaten
200 g	Ricotta cheese, good quality (Main)
50 g	Butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp	Brandy
2 Tbsp	Caster sugar
¾ cup	Ground almonds (Main)
1	Lemon, finely grated zest and juice
24 small	Fresh raspberries (Main)
1 sprinkle	Icing sugar
1 sprinkle	Raspberry powder, optional

Directions

1. To make the pastry, place the butter, sugar and egg yolks in a wide shallow bowl. Using a wooden spoon gently mix, without beating. Gradually work in the flour with a pinch of salt. Turn out on a lightly-floured bench, bring together and press it out to a round disc. Wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out to about 3mm thickness. Cut out 24 x 6cm rounds and press into shallow patty tins. Prick the bases with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 180C.
4. For the filling, place the eggs, ricotta, butter, brandy and sugar in a bowl and lightly beat. Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest and juice.
5. Place 1 raspberry in each pastry case. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the pastry cases, making sure you keep it within the pastry, and mound up the mixture a little.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and the filling is firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 minute before removing from the tins.
7. Serve tarts warm or leave to cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with icing sugar and raspberry powder, if using.

Kathy recommends

• Work with sweet pastry when the kitchen is cool.
• Try to only use a little flour when rolling out pastry. Excess flour can make the pastry dry and a little tough.
• Excess pastry can be pressed together and rolled again or can be frozen for another use.

More raspberry recipes from Kathy

• Raspberry lamingtons
• Raspberry biscuits
• Small batch raspberry jam