PEAR TARTLETS

Linda Lipschitz, owner of Belle’s Patisserie (bellespatisserie.co.za), shares her recipes for a fabulous high tea

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet pastry cases:
200g cake flour
60g castor sugar
120g butter, unsalted
1 egg yolk
half an egg

For the almond creme:
100g soft unsalted butter
100g castor sugar
110g ground almonds
2 eggs

To assemble the tartlets:
4 pear halves, thinly sliced
60g smooth apricot jam, warmed
flaked almonds

METHOD

1. To make the sweet pastry cases: place the flour, sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture. Add the egg yolk and the half egg and mix everything together until combined. Wrap the pastry in clingwrap and chill for an hour.
2. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until about a half a centimetre thick and use it to line 4 x 8cm greased tartlet tins.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the unbaked pastry cases onto a baking sheet in their tins.
4. To make the almond crème: mix the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, then add the ground almonds and mix well. Slowly add the eggs and mix until everything is combined.
5. Pipe the almond crème to reach 2/3 of the way up the sides of the pastry cases. Arrange the pear slices on top.
6. Bake the tartlets for about 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
7. Glaze the tartlets with the warm apricot jam and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

This recipe makes 4 tartlets.