Spring herb tartlets
- Portion size: Serves 4
- Takes 30 min to make, 40 min to cook, plus chilling
- Difficulty: easy
These individual spring herb tartlets are ideal as a starter for Easter lunch: their fresh, vibrant flavours really get the tastebuds tingling. They’re also a lovely hand-held snack to pack as part of a picnic.
Want to make a meal of it? Serve your tartlets with this seasonal potato, mint, pea and broad bean salad.
Join Extradelicious to unlock Cook Mode
Ingredients
For the walnut shortcrust pastry
- 60g walnuts
- 215g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp salt
- 125g chilled butter, chopped
- 3-5 tbsp iced water
For the filling
- 1 large free-range egg and 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten, plus 1 beaten egg yolk for glazing
- 150ml double cream
- Bunch of fresh mint, leaves
- finely chopped
- Bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
- Bunch of fresh chives, snipped
- 75g mature Cheddar, finely grated
- Grating of nutmeg
- Chive flowers (optional)
- Tomato chutney, to serve
Join Extradelicious to unlock Cook Mode
Method
- For the pastry, whizz the nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in the nuts, add the butter and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. (Alternatively you can use the food processor.) Pour over 3 tbsp iced water. Mix with a knife until it starts to come together, adding a splash more water if necessary. Knead briefly to form a soft dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Cut
- 4 x 15cm discs and use them to line 4 x 11cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tins, pressing them into the sides. Trim any excess (see tip on p98). Prick with a fork, then line with baking paper and baking beans or rice. Blind- bake for 12-15 minutes until crisp.
- Mix the lightly beaten egg and yolks in a jug with the cream, chopped herbs and cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Take the cases out of the oven, remove the beans/rice and paper, then carefully lift them from their tins on to a baking tray. Turn the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4.
- Fill the cases with the egg mix and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and just set. Scatter with chive flowers if you like. Serve warm or cold with tomato chutney.
Nutrition
- 710 kcals Calories
- 58.1g (30.1g saturated) Fat
- 16g Protein
- 33.4g (2.2g sugar) Carbs
- 2.8g Fibre
- 1.3g Salt
Leave a comment, question or tip