Berry ricotta cream tartlets

Serves 6

Pastry

185 g (1½ cups) plain flour

95 g (1 cup) ground almonds

40 g (¹/₃ cup) icing sugar

125 g unsalted butter, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling

200 g (¾ cup) ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

160 g (²/₃ cup) caster sugar

125 ml (½ cup) cream

60 g (½ cup) raspberries

80 g (½ cup) blueberries

icing sugar, to dust

❶    Sift the flour into a bowl, then add the almonds and icing sugar. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and mix with a flat-bladed knife, using a cutting action, until the mixture comes together in beads. Gather the dough and put onto a lightly floured surface. Press into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

❷    Grease six 8 cm (3 cm deep) loose- bottomed tart tins. Divide the pastry into six and roll each piece out between two sheets of baking paper to fit the base and side of the tins. Press the pastry into the tins, trim the edges and prick the bases with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line the pastry with crumpled baking paper and spread with baking beads or rice. Bake for 8–10 minutes, then remove the paper and beads.

❸    Process the ricotta, vanilla, eggs, sugar and cream in a food processor until smooth. Divide the berries and filling among the tarts and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the filling is just set — the top should be soft but not too wobbly. Cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.