Gainsborough Tart Recipes

STRAWBERRY TARTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in the size of peas. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough and fit into 4 (4 1/2-inch) tart pans with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pans or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of each pan. Line the tart shells with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill them with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, prick the bottom of the shells all over with a fork, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
• Before serving, fill the tart shells with the pastry cream. Arrange the berries decoratively on top of the cream. Melt the apricot jelly with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the top of the tarts. Sprinkle with pistachios, if using, and serve.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.
• With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

MAIDS OF HONOR TARTS I

Steps:

• Move oven rack to bottom position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 2-inch tart tins.
• Roll out pastry and cut 12 3-inch circles. Fit one pastry circle into each tart tin. Spread one teaspoon of raspberry jam into the bottom of each tart shell.
• In a medium mixing bowl, cream together softened butter or margarine and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg. Add flour, baking powder, and almond extract and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter into each tart shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until risen and firm. Dust tarts with confectioners' sugar.

COCONUT TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place a shallow 23cm flan tin on a baking tray. Tip the spices, coconut and sugar into a pan with 150ml water and cook over a low heat for about 5 mins, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture doesn't catch. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the flan tin. Trim off the excess pastry, fill the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans and cook for 15 mins. Remove the beans and cook for 5 mins more so the pastry on the base of the tin is just cooked, but not brown.
• Beat the egg and melted butter into the cooled coconut mixture, then spoon into the pastry case and smooth the top. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is golden and the coconut pale golden. Serve with cream or real vanilla ice cream and some Cape gooseberries, then follow with cups of black Rooibos tea.

GRAMMA'S BUTTER TARTS

Steps:

• Whisk flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; cut lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Make a well in the flour mixture and place 1 beaten egg into the well.
• Pour ice cold water and vinegar into flour mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Divide dough into two balls; wrap dough in waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; beat in 2 eggs one at a time. Stir raisins and vanilla extract into butter mixture.
• Roll out one ball of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness; reserve remaining dough for another use. Cut dough into circles large enough to fit into the bottom and partway up sides of the wells of a muffin tin using a round biscuit cutter. Press dough circles lightly into muffin tin to form tart shells; fill each shell 3/4 full with raisin mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbly and pastry is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

GAINSBOROUGH TART

Steps:

• Roll out pastry and line 20cm sandwich tin. Prick base and spread with jam.
• Melt butter, stir in egg, sugar, coconut and baking powder. Mix well.
• Spread mixture into pastry case.
• Bake 350F 30-35 minutes.

GAINSBOROUGH TART

Steps:

• Line and grease the tin, pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
• Pastry: rub the butter and flour together into crumbs, then add the egg to bind. Wrap in cling film and pop in the frigde.
• Filling: melt the sugar, lemon juice and zest in a pan on a low heat. Mix the egg yolk to the cornflour mix and add to the pan, add the boiling water and stir at a simmer until thickened. Leave to cool
• Topping: mix the melted butter with eggs and sugar, add the coconut and baking powder.
• Assembly: roll the pastry out thinly and put a layer in the bottom of your tin. No need to blind bake. Pour over the slighly cooled lemon filling and spread in an even layer. Then spread over the topping in a thin layer over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes until firm and golden. Turn out gently and cut into 16 squares whilst still warm.

GRAPEFRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar. Press the mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and bake until golden and set, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the filling: Mix the condensed milk, egg yolks and grapefruit zest and juice in the bowl of a mixer, then mix on high until smooth and thick. Add a few drops of the food coloring, if using, to give it a ruby grapefruit color, and stir thoroughly to combine.
• Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream.