RECIPE: Mrs Plimmerton's Strawberry Tarts (Chapter 2)

I think Jane ended up pinching an extra one of these beauties.

We hope you enjoy Mrs Plimmerton's Strawberry Tarts as much as she did. =)

(Note: Mrs P liked to make her own pastry, but I think it's okay to cheat a little with bought. . . I'm sure Mrs P wouldn't mind.)

Ingredients:

pre-made tart pastry

Filling ingredients:

150g cream cheese

200g mascarpone

2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

1/4 cup icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons brandy

1-2 squares dark-chocolate, grated

pinch cloves

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder dissolved in equal quantity of water

strawberries to garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200oC.
Cut out circles of pastry with a cutter to fit holes in a 12-hole muffin tin (enough pastry to come up the sides).
Bake the tart cases blind (with paper and rice on top) in the muffin tin for 20 mins.
Lower the oven to 170oC, remove the paper, and finish cooking the pastry so that it's golden.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
Mix together all of the ingredients, folding in the mascarpone last. (Be careful not to overmix mascarpone as it can curdle.)
Fill the cooled cases with the tart filling and garnish with strawberries.