Best Maid Of Honour Tarts Recipes

PRUE LEITH'S MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• For the curd cheese, pour the milk into a large pan and add the salt. Bring to a very gentle boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Leave to stand without stirring for 5 minutes, until the curds separate from the whey.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared sieve and leave to drain into the bowl for at least 30 minutes, until cool. Tip the curd cheese into a separate bowl. You should have just over 200g of curd cheese.
• For the rough puff pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add 5-7 tablespoons of water to form a dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring 30 x 12cm. Grate half of the frozen butter over the bottom two thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if you were folding a letter. Rotate the dough through 90 degrees and roll it again into a 30 x 12cm rectangle.
• Grate the remaining frozen butter over the bottom two thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if you were folding a letter. Rotate the dough through 90 degrees. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Repeat the rolling and folding of the pastry twice more, each time wrapping in cling film and leaving to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• For the lemon curd, put the lemon zest and juice and the sugar and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted, then whisk in the beaten egg. Gently whisk the mixture over the heat for about 10 minutes, until thickened like custard. Pour the cooked curd through a sieve into a clean bowl to remove the zest, then leave to cool and set.
• Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick and, using a 10cm round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Use these to line the 12-hole muffin tray, then line each with a square of baking paper. Fill with baking beans and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and set aside.
• For the filling, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Place the curd cheese, lemon zest, sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• Place 1 teaspoon of lemon curd into the base of each pastry case, then pour the filling into the cases until they are full, but not overflowing. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set, then transfer the tray to a wire rack and allow the tarts to cool.
• Hold the stencil over a tart and dust with icing sugar to create a rose motif. Repeat for the remaining tarts.

MAIDS OF HONOUR TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Roll the pastry out slightly thinner than a one pound coin, then stamp out twelve 9cm/3½in rounds and use to line a 12-hole non-stick patty tin. Place the tray of pastry discs in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, flour, ground almonds, nutmeg (or ground mace) and lemon zest. Stir in the curd cheese, being careful not to overwork the mixture as it can split.
• Spoon the mixture into the tart cases and bake for 25 minutes, or until risen and lightly browned on top. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.

MAIDS-OF-HONOR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until smaller than peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of milk at a time over the dough until moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 inch circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Press circles into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased mini muffin cups. set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together 2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Beat in the eggs and sherry, then stir in the ground almonds. Place 1/4 teaspoon of jam into the bottom of the lined cups. Cover with 1 tablespoon of the almond mixture.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before removing from muffin tins to cool on wire racks.

MAID OF HONOUR TARTS

Steps:

• Prepare pastry and line the tart shells.
• Mix the beaten egg, sugar and butter together until creamy.
• Add vanilla and walnuts.
• If desired, a little jam or jelly may be placed in each tart shell before adding the nut mixture.
• Place a spoonful of nut mixture into each tart shell.
• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until filling is delicately browned, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

MAIDS OF HONOR (TARTS)

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs and beat until light.
• Add sifted flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Form small balls between hands and put into small cupcake pans or muffin pans.
• Make a deep hole in center by pushing up around edges.
• Mix jam and nuts together; fill tarts.
• Bake at 375°F for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Top with whipped cream when serving.