Try this deliciously easy dessert from Angeline Ball, from her time on RTÉ's The Restaurant.
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 110 g butter
- 55 g icing sugar
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 225 g plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
For the Filling:
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 free-range eggs (separated)
- 200 g shelled walnuts (roughly chopped)
- 200 g walnuts ground
- 250 ml crème fraiche
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- for the decoration:
- 170 g icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons armagnac
- 6 walnut halves
- gold leaf for decoration
- 150 ml cream
- 100 ml mascarpone
Method
- Place the flour, sugar, egg and butter in a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together in a ball of dough.
- Cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove cling and roll thinly. Line 6 greased tins with the pastry and put some greaseproof paper on top and fill with dried beans Bake the pastry 'blind' in a hot oven at 170°C for 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is starting to cook, but is not quite golden yet.
- To make the filling, mix the egg yolks and sugar until they are light and frothy. Fold in the crushed and chopped walnuts.
- Then stir in the crème fraiche. Whip up egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold into the mixture.
- Pour into the individual tartlets and bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- For the topping whisk the Armagnac and icing sugar together until it's a smooth consistency and spread this evenly over the cooled tartlets.
- Mix the Mascarpone and cream together and serve alongside the tart. Lastly, coat half a walnut with gold leaf and place on top of the tart.
- Mix the Mascarpone cheese and the cream and beat until thick, make a quenelle of the mixture and place alongside the tartlet.
