Maids of Honour
Emily Davenport
24 servings
30 minutes
177
British
bake
These maids of honour tarts are a classic British bake featuring crisp pastry cases filled with a lightly sweet, creamy mixture scented with citrus and delicate spices. With their rich, cheesecake-style centre and golden finish, they’re a timeless afternoon tea treat.
Delicious little fruity bakes taken from the Around Britain Cookbook.
Ingredients
- Shortcrust pastry 500g packet
- Curd cheese 227g tub
- Eggs 2 large
- Soft light brown sugar 110g (4oz)
- Single cream 4 tbsp
- Brandy, orange flower water or rosewater 2 tbsp
- Ground almonds 150g (5oz)
- Seedless raisins 50g (2oz), finely chopped
- Caster or icing sugar for sifting
Find this recipe in the Around Britain Cookbook
Directions
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7
Roll the pastry out very thinly - just a little thinner than a one penny piece
Using an 8.5cm (3¼in) fluted or plain round cutter, stamp out 24 rounds from the pastry, re-folding and re-rolling the trimmings if necessary
- Line two deep-hole bun tin trays (each hole approximately 6.5cm wide/2cm deep) with the pastry rounds
- Chill while making the filling
- Place the curd cheese, eggs, sugar, cream, brandy or flower water and almonds in a mixing bowl and beat well together with a whisk
- Mix in the raisins and then spoon into the pastry cases
Bake the tarts for 15-20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and feel firm to the touch
- Allow the maids of honour to cool a little and then carefully remove them onto a wire rack to cool completely
- Sift with icing or caster sugar and serve.