My earliest memories of sweet pastries are of Sundays mornings in Brittany when, like most families, we would go to the boulangerie/pâtisserie and choose a selection to have after Sunday lunch; perhaps some apple or apricot tarts, or pear bourdaloue, with its frangipane puffed up and golden around the fruit. There might be some choux pastry swans with ruffled chantilly cream “feathers,” and in summer always fresh strawberry tarts, with the fruit glistening on a layer of beautiful vanilla crème pâtissière. During the week you might make a simple fruit tart at home, but on Sundays the tradition is still to treat the family to something special, beautifully presented in a box tied with ribbon.
In Britain, there is much more enthusiasm for baking at home any day of the week, and I don’t think you can beat a classic sweet tart at any time of the day—with a coffee in the morning, a cup of tea in the afternoon, or as a dessert after dinner. The key is to keep the pastry thin enough in proportion to the topping so that it has an elegant crispness to it.
Most of the tarts that follow can be eaten warm or cold, though by cold I mean at room temperature. So often we have a tendency to eat things when they are piping hot or straight from the refrigerator, and at either extreme, the temperature dulls the flavor. Even if you keep a refreshing fresh fruit tart in the refrigerator, it will taste just a little bit more special if you allow it to come up to room temperature before serving it.
These are classic tarts made with fresh fruits on a creamy base. Crème pâtissière—literally “pastry chef’s cream”—is often confused with crème anglaise, which is the French name for custard. They are very similar, but whereas custard is set only with eggs, crème pâtissière also uses flour (or cornstarch) so that it is thicker and can be used as a base or filling for all kinds of pastries. It is at the heart of the pastry-maker’s craft and you will find it used frequently in the puff pastry chapter as well as here.
I prefer to make my crème pâtissière in the more traditional way, with flour rather than cornstarch. Cornstarch gives more of a sheen, but I feel I can taste it in the finished cream.
The key to making good crème pâtissière is in the final stage. Once the hot milk has been whisked into the eggs, flour, and sugar, it goes back onto the heat, and—this is the important bit—it needs to come to a boil and then kept at a boil for a minute while you whisk continuously. This is what cooks the mixture so that you don’t taste any flouriness in the finished cream, and makes it set properly.
I like to teach people how to make these tartlets in my pastry classes, not only because they involve the all-important crème pâtissière, but because once you master making impressive-looking small tartlets, it is easy to move on to bigger ones and feel confident about it.
This recipe makes 24 tartlets. Of course I know most people aren’t going to have that many pans, but you can blind bake the crusts in batches 2–3 days in advance if you like, and keep them in an airtight container, ready to fill with the pastry cream and top with fruit when you want to serve them. Or, if you want to make a smaller batch, you can freeze whatever pastry you don’t need for another time (see page 63).
The tarts can be made to look very smart by cutting and arranging the various fruits in the way professional pastry chefs do it (see pages 200–204).
Makes twenty-four 3¼-inch tartlets
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for sealing the pastry
For the crème pâtissière
1 cup whole milk (low-fat could be used if you prefer, but the cream will not be as rich)
1 vanilla bean
3 egg yolks
5 tablespoons superfine sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose plain flour
For the fruit filling
dash of kirsch (if using strawberries) or rum (optional)
about 1⅔ pounds strawberries or other fresh fruit
1–2 tablespoons water
about ⅔ cup apricot jam, for glazing
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
fresh mint leaves, for decoration (optional)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
TO MAKE THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE: Put the milk into a heavy-based saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean along its length, scrape the seeds into the milk, then put the halved pods in too.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Add the flour and mix until smooth.
Put the pan of milk over medium heat, bring to just under a boil, then slowly pour half of it into the egg mixture, whisking well as you do so. Add the remainder of the milk and whisk again, then pour the mixture back into the pan. Bring to a boil, whisking all the time, then keep boiling and whisking continuously for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and scoop out the vanilla pods. (You can wash and dry them and keep them in a jar of sugar, which will give you vanilla-flavored sugar for use in all your baking.) Cover the surface of the bowl with parchment paper straightaway to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Lightly grease 24 removable-bottomed tart pans, 3¼ inches in diameter and ¾ inch deep. (If you don’t have this many pans, you can bake in batches.) Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry 
–⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Line with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the parchment and weights, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for another 8 minutes (see pages 37–41). Set aside. Leave the pastry crusts in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and leave on a rack until cool.
TO MAKE THE FRUIT FILLING: Fill the pastry crusts with crème pâtissière (mixed with a little kirsch, if you like, if using strawberries, or with rum if using another fruit) and top with your fresh fruit.
Put the jam into a saucepan with the water, and bring to just under a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil or the jam will become too gooey to spread properly. Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of each tartlet. Alternatively, dust the tartlets with confectioners’ sugar.
Decorate, if you like, with mint leaves.
I like to make small lemon tartlets, but you can make them in other sizes if you wish (see page 17); you might prefer just a big one (10¼ by 1½ inches), which can be cut into slices. You can blind bake the pastry crusts in batches, 2–3 days in advance if you like, and keep them in an airtight container, ready to fill. You can then finish the baking when you want to serve them.
If you have any lemon filling left over, it needn’t be wasted: spoon it into ramekins and bake in the same way, but without the pastry. Served with cookies and a little crème fraîche, it makes a lovely pudding.
Makes twenty-four 3¼-inch tartlets
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for sealing the pastry
For the filling
7 organic lemons
9 eggs
2 cups superfine sugar
1 cup heavy cream
confectioners’ sugar, for glazing (optional)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Lightly grease 24 removable-bottomed tart pans, 3¼ inches in diameter and ¾ inch deep. (If you don’t have this many pans, you can bake in batches.)
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–34). Line with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the paper and weights, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for another 8 minutes (see pages 37–41). Set aside.
Lower the oven to 300°F.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: Grate the zest of 4 of the lemons and squeeze the juice from all of them. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl until smooth, then add the lemon juice. Lightly whip the cream and fold it into the egg mixture. Skim any froth from the top, then pour into the pastry crusts.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the filling doesn’t wobble if you shake the pans very gently, and the center feels just set when touched. Don’t wait until it feels very firm, as it will firm up a little as it cools.
Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack for 2 hours before eating. If you like, before serving, you can dust the top of each tartlet with a little confectioners’ sugar and melt with a blowtorch to glaze.
This is a beautiful tart to make when fresh cherries are in season. I like it best when it is still a little warm and the chocolate is quite soft and gooey, like a good chocolate brownie. But if you like a firmer texture, you can leave it to cool completely. Either way, it’s gorgeous with whipped cream. I think it is fun to leave the stems on the cherries so that they pop out of the tart.
If you want to make this tart out of season, you can still do it using cherries preserved in alcohol or syrup. Failing that, you could use frozen or canned cherries, and in both cases soak them in kirsch before use. However, you will need more preserved cherries than if using fresh because they are less plump and will disappear more into the chocolate filling.
I like to make the tart rectangular and cut it into squares to serve, but you can make it circular or any shape you wish.
Makes one 14 by 4½-inch tart
1 recipe Chocolate Pastry (see page 17)
12 fresh cherries with stems, 24 cherries preserved in alcohol or syrup, or 24 defrosted frozen cherries
6½ tablespoons kirsch, if using canned or frozen cherries
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for sealing the pastry
For the chocolate filling
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
11¼ ounces good-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
1½ cups butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
If using canned or defrosted cherries, drain them and put them into a bowl with the kirsch. Leave to soak overnight.
Lightly grease a removable-bottomed tart pan, 14 by 4½ inches and ¾ inch deep.
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry 
inch thick, and line the pan (see pages 30–36). Line with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FILLING: In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and egg yolks until the mixture is pale and has a creamy, mousselike consistency.
Break the chocolate into chunks and put into a heatproof bowl. Place this over a saucepan of simmering water—you need enough water to come close to the bottom of the bowl but not actually touch it. Turn the heat very low so that you don’t get steam into the bowl, as this can make the chocolate stiffen and look dull. Let the chocolate melt slowly, stirring all the time, then add the butter and keep stirring until it has melted. Take off the heat and add to the sugar and egg mixture, again stirring well until it is all incorporated. Gently fold in the flour and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator, place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the parchment and baking weights, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for another 10 minutes (see pages 37–41). Set aside to cool.
Lower the oven to 350°F.
Spread the filling over the cooled pastry up to the top, then push the cherries into it, leaving some of the fruit showing (if using fresh cherries, leave the stems sticking out). Put back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 12 minutes, until just set. The filling will have risen a little, but, like a chocolate brownie, it should be only just firm to the touch, as it will set a bit more when it cools. Leave in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack.
The tart can be served either warm and gooey, or completely cooled, when the chocolate will be a bit firmer. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Use sliced ripe (or canned) pears instead of cherries.
These tartlets are filled with lemon curd, but you could use the lemon filling from the recipe on page 108, if you like. Of course you can make a bigger tart (see page 17), but I think small tartlets are more fun because you can be a bit wild with the meringue. You can blind bake the pastry crusts in batches, 2–3 days in advance, and keep them in an airtight container, ready to fill. You can then finish the baking when you want to serve them.
Makes twenty-four 3¼-inch tartlets
1 recipe Sweet or Lemon Pastry (see page 17)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for sealing the pastry
For the lemon curd filling
juice and grated zest of 3 organic lemons
3 extra-large eggs
1 cup superfine sugar
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the meringue
6 egg whites
1¾ cups granulated sugar
5 tablespoons water
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
TO MAKE THE LEMON CURD: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, then place over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the water doesn’t actually touch the base of the bowl. Heat very gently, whisking all the time and making sure you move the mixture around so it doesn’t stick to the sides. Be patient, otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs (if this should happen, put the mixture through a fine sieve very quickly, then back onto the heat). When the mixture starts to look a little thicker than heavy cream, cook for 1 minute more and it should be ready. To test, blob a little of the mixture onto the inside of the bowl toward the top. It should stay still without dripping. Set aside to cool.
Lightly grease 24 removable-bottomed tart pans, 3¼ inches in diameter and ¾ inch deep. (If you don’t have this many pans, you can bake in batches.)
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and use to line the pans (see pages 30–34). Line with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator, place on baking sheets, and bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the parchment and baking weights, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for another 8 minutes (see pages 37–41). Set aside to cool.
Fill each pastry crust halfway with lemon curd and put into the refrigerator until set.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE MERINGUE: Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Put the sugar into a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. At first you will see large bubbles; after 5–8 minutes, when some of the water has evaporated, the bubbles will be smaller. At this point you will have a thin, colorless syrup (if you have a candy thermometer, the syrup should register 250°F).
Wrap a dish towel around the bowl of egg whites and wedge it into a second saucepan or larger bowl on your work surface so that it is held steady. Using one hand, pour in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream while whisking with the other hand, until the mixture becomes shiny and forms proper peaks. (Alternatively, you can whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and add the sugar syrup with the motor running.)
Fit a piping bag with a star tip (see page 61) and fill with meringue. Take the pastry crusts from the refrigerator and pipe meringue over the lemon curd, going around and upward to create peaks that are as wild as you like.
As the egg in the meringue has already been cooked by the hot syrup, the tarts need no further baking, but I think the meringue looks smarter and has more definition if the tips are lightly browned. The best way to do this is with a blowtorch, as it allows you to control which areas of the meringue you color. The browning could also be done under a broiler or in a hot oven (400°F), but watch carefully to make sure the meringue doesn’t burn.
I wasn’t a huge fan of cheesecake until I tasted the one made by Ronnie Bonetti at Babington House in Somerset. Inspired by his original recipe, I came up with the variations below. Of course you can make one big cheesecake if you prefer (see photo on page 62).
Makes eight 4-inch cheesecakes
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for sealing the pastry
For the filling
1 pound cream cheese
1 cup superfine sugar
seeds from 1 large vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
14 ounces (1¾ cups) mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Lightly grease eight 4 by ¾-inch removable-bottomed tart pans.
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Line with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator, place on baking sheets, and bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the parchment and ceramic weights, brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for another 8 minutes (see pages 37–41). Set aside. Lower the oven to 300°F.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: Put the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla into a bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs and yolks, then add the mascarpone, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the flour. Divide the filling among the tart crusts, put back on the baking sheets, and bake for 45 minutes, until just set. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack.
Passion fruit cheesecakes: Take 4 or 5 ripe passion fruits, cut them in half, and scrape the pulp into a small saucepan. Warm gently without boiling. Stir into the mascarpone mixture after you have folded in the flour.
Lemon cheesecakes: Omit the vanilla bean and mix the juice and grated zest of 2 organic lemons with the eggs and egg yolks before adding them to the cream cheese mixture.
Black currant (or other red fruit) cheesecakes: Put 9 ounces ripe fruit in a small saucepan, crush slightly with a fork, and warm gently, just to release the juices. Fill the pastry crusts with the mascarpone mixture, then pour the fruit and juices over each one, swirling the top with a small knife.
This is the classic almond tart made with crème d’amande (almond cream, also known as frangipane) and topped with sliced almonds. It is very like Bakewell tart, in which the pastry is filled with frangipane and jam, but without the layer of jam, and the name sounds more chic! A slice with coffee is just brilliant. The almond cream also forms the basis of many of the fruit tarts that follow. I even use it is a topping for my mince pies (see page 136). While you can mix the cream by hand, it is easier to get it light and fluffy with a stand mixer.
One of the great things about making tarts with almond cream is that they freeze well, so virtually any in which it is used can be fully baked and then frozen. When needed, simply defrost (allow 1–2 hours), then put into a preheated oven at 350°F for about 6 minutes to freshen them up and recrisp the pastry a little.
Alternatively, you can make up the tarts completely, ready to bake, and then freeze them. Just place them on a baking sheet, loosely cover with an opened-out resealable plastic bag, and freeze until hard, then stack them between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. They can then be baked without defrosting. The pastry may not be quite as crispy, having been baked from frozen, but it will still be very good. The best way to bake the tarts from frozen is to turn on your oven to 350°F, as the recipe directs, but instead of waiting for it to heat up, put the tarts in straightaway. As the oven comes up to temperature, it will be defrosting the tarts, and they will bake through evenly without coloring too quickly. They will probably take a little longer—around 30 minutes—though this can vary, depending on how quickly your oven heats up, so keep an eye on them. You can check that they are baked all the way through by inserting a skewer into the middle and checking that it is hot. Turn up the heat to 400°F for the last 5 minutes or so, just to get the almond cream nicely colored.
Makes four 6¼-inch tarts
1 recipe Sweet or Almond Pastry (see page 17)
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, or apricot glaze (see pages 105–106)
For the almond cream
1 cup plus 1½ tablespoons butter
1¼ cups superfine sugar
2½ cups ground almonds
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons Poire Williams liqueur or rum
confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
TO MAKE THE ALMOND CREAM: Beat the butter until very soft, preferably in a stand mixer. With the motor running, add the sugar and ground almonds and mix some more. Now mix in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the liqueur. Transfer to a small bowl and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease four 6¼-inch tart rings or removable-bottomed pans (¾ inch deep).
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry inch thick, and line the rings (set on baking sheets) or pans (see pages 30–36). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes then remove and fill with the almond cream. I like to do this with a piping bag, but you can spoon it in and smooth the surface if you prefer.
Top with the sliced almonds, place on baking sheets (if using tart pans), and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes.
Trim off the overhanging pastry, then lift out and cool on a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Peach and rosemary might sound like an unusual combination, but the flavors of the fruit and herb work really well together—though you could substitute some sprigs of thyme or lavender if you prefer.
Granulated sugar is much cheaper than superfine sugar, and is fine for making things such as syrups. The syrup used to poach the peaches in this recipe can be stored in the refrigerator and simply boiled again when you want to use it for another recipe. Remember to skim off any impurities that come to the surface, and add a little water if the syrup needs to be thinner. It can also be used instead of apricot jam to glaze the tarts (see the variation).
If you wish, you can fill the pastry crusts with almond cream, then freeze them, ready to bake. Alternatively, you can bake them, then freeze, defrost, and warm them through (see page 119) before poaching the peaches.
Makes four 6¼-inch tarts
1 recipe Sweet or Almond Pastry (see page 17)
2½ cups sugar
2 rosemary sprigs, plus more for decoration
4 cups plus 1–2 tablespoons water
10 peaches
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
about ⅔ cup apricot jam, for glazing (optional)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Put the sugar and 2 rosemary sprigs in a saucepan with 4 cups of the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until you have a colorless syrup.
Put the whole peaches into the syrup, bring to just below a simmer, then cook very gently for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Lightly grease four 6¼-inch removable-bottomed tart pans (¾ inch deep).
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–34). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the pastry crusts with the almond cream, then place on baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack.
Remove the peaches from the syrup (reserve the syrup), peel the fruits, then cut in half carefully, as they can be a bit fragile. Remove and discard the pits.
With a skewer, make small holes in the baked almond cream and gently pour about 1–2 tablespoons of the syrup over each tart so it soaks in.
If making the apricot glaze, put the jam into a saucepan with the 1–2 tablespoons water and bring to just under a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil or the jam will become too gooey to spread properly. Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. (Alternatively, make the syrup glaze below.) Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of each tart; this will give the fruit something to stick to. Place 5 peach halves cut side down, on top of each tart, then glaze a bit more. Push small sprigs of rosemary into the fruit to decorate.
POACHING SYRUP GLAZE: Add 1½ tablespoons water to a small bowl, sprinkle with 1⅛ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin, then let stand for a few minutes. Put 1 cup of the syrup into a small saucepan, simmer to reduce it a bit, then remove from the heat. Add a little of the hot syrup to the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin has dissolved, then mix into the rest of the syrup. Leave to cool, then brush over the tarts.
There are many stories about how this got its name. The most likely is that it is named after La Pâtisserie Bourdaloue on rue Bourdaloue in Paris, where the recipe is said to have first been made in the early 1900s.
People often ask me how to make these classic pear tarts, filled with beautifully soft fruit, as you see them in virtually every French boulangerie/pâtisserie. The secret of the soft fruit is that they are usually made with canned pears. That’s not so surprising when you remember that fresh pears are only in season during the autumn. The canned ones are fine, but when the fresh ones are around, I like to poach them in syrup, as in this recipe. The syrup can then be stored in the refrigerator and reused for both poaching and glazing (see page 124).
The recipe is for 24 small tartlets, but if you don’t have that many pans, you can bake them in batches and freeze them until needed. Then you can defrost them and warm them through, ready for glazing.
Makes twenty-four 3¼-inch tartlets
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
2½ cups sugar
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
12 small ripe pears or 6 large ones, preferably Barlett or Comice
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
⅔ cup apricot jam, for glazing (optional)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Bring the sugar and 4 cups of the water to a boil in a saucepan, then simmer until you have a colorless syrup.
Peel the pears, keeping them whole, and put them into the syrup. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Lightly grease 24 removable-bottomed tart pans, 3¼ inches in diameter and ¾ inch deep.
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Halve the pears if small, or cut them into quarters if large. Place them, rounded side up, on the chopping board, then make several widthwise cuts that go about two-thirds of the way through the flesh. Press down gently and the pear will fan out a little.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator and, using a spoon or piping bag, fill each pastry crust halfway with almond cream. Arrange a fanned pear on top.
Place on baking sheets and bake for about 25 minutes, until the almond cream is golden. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack.
If making the apricot glaze, put the jam into a saucepan with the remaining 2 tablespoons water and bring to just under a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil or the jam will become too gooey to spread properly. Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of each tart.
This is a very simple but chic combination: the pink of the rhubarb and pearly white “necklace” of currants give it quite a feminine appeal. Lightly poached rhubarb is a favorite of mine, and the recipe came about when I had some of the early season, bright pink, forced rhubarb (a speciality of West Yorkshire) in the kitchen, and decided to use it as a topping for an almond tart. I felt that an extra flavor and color was needed, so I added some white currants that I also happened to have on hand. It has become one of my favorite tarts. If you wish, you can fill the pastry crusts with almond cream, then freeze them, ready to bake. Alternatively, you can bake and then freeze them until needed. Just defrost and warm them through (see page 119) before poaching the rhubarb. You can use the poaching syrup for a glaze (see page 124).
Makes four 6¼-inch tarts
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
1¼ cups sugar
2 cups plus 1–2 tablespoons water
6 rhubarb stalks, cut into 2½–3-inch lengths
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
1 tablespoon crème de cassis
1 pint white or red currants
about ⅔ cup apricot jam, for glazing (optional)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Put the sugar and 2 cups of the water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until you have a colorless syrup.
Add the rhubarb and cook for 4–5 minutes, until it has softened but still offers resistance when you pierce it with a sharp knife.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to a rack placed over a baking sheet to drain and cool. Set aside the pan of poaching syrup.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease four 6¼-inch removable-bottomed tart pans (¾ inch deep), preferably fluted.
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the pastry crusts with the almond cream, then place on baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack.
Mix the crème de cassis with 1 tablespoon of the poaching syrup. Prick the top of each tart with a skewer, then pour the liquid over the almond cream, dividing it evenly and letting it soak in. Arrange the rhubarb and currants on top.
If making the apricot glaze, put the jam into a saucepan with the remaining 1–2 tablespoons water and bring to just under a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil or the jam will become too gooey to spread properly. Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of each tart.
This is really two recipes in one. Every year at home we make a hot punch for Christmas, which is also brilliant for poaching apples for tarte Normande—and then for drinking with a slice of it.
If you wish, you can make the tarts up completely, then freeze them until you are ready to bake. Alternatively, you can bake and then freeze them until needed. Just defrost and warm them through (see page 119) before serving.
I like to eat tarte Normande at room temperature with crème fraîche, but sometimes I also pour a little warmed Calvados over the tart just before serving, which makes it extra special.
Makes eight 4-inch tarts
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
3 tablespoons rum
8 cups hard cider
3 tablespoons Calvados
6 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
6 apples, unpeeled and quartered
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119), made with Calvados rather than Poire Williams or rum
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Pour the rum, cider, and Calvados into a saucepan, add the brown sugar, and warm over low heat, just as if you were making a hot punch or mulled wine—the alcohol shouldn’t even bubble. Put in the apples and let them sit in the punch over the lowest heat for several hours so that they soften and soak up the flavors.
Lightly grease eight 4-inch removable-bottomed tart pans (¾ inch deep).
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the pastry crusts with the almond cream. Lift the apples from the punch, and core and slice thinly. Arrange the apple slices in a circular fashion on the almond cream, dividing them evenly.
Place on baking sheets and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the almond cream is golden brown. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack to room temperature before eating.
In my kitchen, I always have big jars of prunes soaked in rum. They make great treats to serve with coffee during the morning break in pastry classes—and everyone who stops by the kitchen falls in love with them, too. If I can escape for a day’s fishing or shooting on the weekend, the gamekeeper always appreciates a jar of them, and a spoonful added to porridge in the morning is a fantastic wake-up call.
All you do is empty a big bag of ready-to-eat prunes into a clean jar, add enough good dark rum to cover, then leave for at least a week, topping up with more prunes as you eat them, or more rum as you drink it.
When making vanilla ice cream, I sometimes pop in a few of the prunes toward the end of churning, and the softest ones, squashed into sweet pastry crusts, topped with almond cream and then baked, make beautiful tarts.
If you wish, you can make the tarts up completely, then freeze them until you are ready to bake. Alternatively, you can bake and then freeze them until needed. Just defrost and warm them through (see page 119) before serving.
Makes eight 4-inch tarts
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
about 24 prunes in rum (see headnote)
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Lightly grease eight 4-inch removable-bottomed tart pans (¾ inch deep).
Dust your work surface with flour, roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick, and line the pans (see pages 30–36). Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Squash some of the prunes into each pastry crust, then cover with almond cream and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Place on baking sheets and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the almond cream is golden. Serve warm.
While these tartlets are simple to make, the bright green from the pistachios and the red of the raspberries make them look quite spectacular and summery—one big tart also looks pretty dramatic, if you prefer.
If you wish, you can fill the pastry crusts with almond cream, then freeze them, ready to bake. Alternatively, you can bake and then freeze them until needed. Just defrost and warm them through (see page 119). Let them cool before adding the raspberries and pistachios.
Makes 36 tartlets or 1 large tart
1 recipe Pistachio Pastry (see page 17)
½ recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
½ recipe Crème Pâtissière (see page 105)
about ⅔ cup apricot jam, for glazing
1 tablespoon water
2 pints raspberries
½ cup ground pistachios
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Lightly grease three 12-hole tartlet pans (if you don’t have enough pans, bake in batches) or a 7¾-inch square pan, about 1 inch deep.
Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick for tartlets or inch thick for a large tart. Use it to line your pan(s) (see pages 33–36), then put into the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the almond cream and crème pâtissière together in a bowl. Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the pastry crusts to the top with the mixture. Bake the tartlets for 15–20 minutes and the large tart for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown.
Leave to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before lifting out and cooling on a rack.
Put the jam into a saucepan with the water and bring to just under a simmer. Don’t let the mixture boil or the jam will become too gooey to spread properly. Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of the tartlets or tart.
To decorate tartlets, sprinkle the tops with the ground pistachios, then glaze lightly. Place a row of raspberries down the middle and lightly glaze again.
To decorate a large square tart, arrange lines of raspberries in the center and sprinkle a border of ground pistachios all around them (see photo on page 201). Lightly glaze again.
I had never seen anything like mince pies when I was growing up in France, but I absolutely love them. My only complaint is that they are often made with too much pastry in relation to the filling, so one Christmas I experimented with covering the pies instead with frangipane (almond cream) flavored with rum and topped with sliced almonds. They went so well that we now make batches of them to sell in our bakery in Bath, and also in the Saturday shop at the cookery school, and I can barely keep up with the demand.
The baked pies can be made 2–3 months in advance and frozen between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container until Christmas. They can then be defrosted and warmed at 325°F for 6–7 minutes to heat through, or eaten at room temperature.
Makes 36
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17)
14-ounce jar deluxe mincemeat
1 recipe Almond Cream (see page 119)
sliced almonds, for decoration (optional)
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Lightly grease three 12-hole tartlet pans (if you don’t have enough pans, bake in batches).
Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry –⅛ inch thick. Using a round cutter or tumbler just larger than the holes in the pan, cut out circles of pastry and line your pans (see pages 30–36). Put into the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Fill the pastry crusts halfway with mincemeat, then pipe about 1 heaping teaspoon almond cream over each one. (Alternatively, spoon it on and smooth over the top.) Sprinkle with a few sliced almonds, if you like.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Leave in the pans for about 15 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Sweet pastry can easily be adapted to make a range of cookies. The following recipes are quick to put together, and the resulting cookies will keep for 2–3 weeks in an airtight container—though I never understand how anyone manages to make them last that long. In my family, the moment they are made they are gone! When you bake cookies, instead of using greased baking sheets, you might want to try silicone mats, which are perfect for the job.
There is no rule about which pastry dough to use for these cookies—they can be made in all kinds of flavors and shapes. If you are using the basic sweet pastry dough, you could mix some chocolate chips or pieces of candied citrus peel into it just before resting it. If you are using one of its variations, such as the chocolate pastry dough, you could add some sliced almonds or pieces of walnut. It really is up to you. Similarly, you can use whatever shaped cutters you like, so they are fun to make with children.
Makes 24–36, depending on size
1 recipe Sweet Pastry, or any variation of your choice (see page 17)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for glazing
Rest the pastry dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two baking sheets.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry inch thick if you want thin cookies, or about ⅛ inch if you prefer them a little thicker. Cut into squares of about 2½ inches, or use a similar-size cutter to stamp out whatever shape you like. Dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush, then place on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on the shape and thickness, until golden.
These are little sandwiches of orange-flavored cookies filled with chocolate crème patissière. You can make the cookies and keep them for 2–3 weeks in an airtight container before sandwiching them with the filling, but once you add the crème pâtissière, you need to eat them on the same day.
The cookies are flavored either with orange zest or a combination of zest and orange flower water.
Makes about 24
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17), but add the grated zest of 2 oranges with the flour or the zest of 1 orange and a few drops of orange flower water after adding the butter
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for glazing
1 recipe Chocolate Crème Pâtissière (see page 208)
Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29).
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease one or two baking sheets.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry inch thick if you want thin cookies, or about ⅛ inch if you prefer them a little thicker. Cut into an even number of squares of about 2½ inches, or use a similar-size cutter to stamp out whatever shape you like. Dust off any excess flour, then place on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on the shape and thickness, until golden. Sandwich the chocolate crème pâtissière between the squares.
I grew up in Brittany with cookies like these, made with local salted butter. They are gorgeous, made using the basic sweet pastry method but with double the quantity of butter. You need a good butter flavored with sea salt. I use Breton butter, made with sea salt flakes, which is just beautiful and sold in most good shops and supermarkets. I also put a little baking powder in with the flour for this recipe, so the cookies rise very slightly, and use only egg yolks rather than whole eggs. (You can use the leftover egg whites in the Italian Cookies on page 145.)
Makes about 24
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17), but use 3 egg yolks instead of 2 eggs and 1 yolk, add 4 teaspoons baking powder to the flour, omit the salt, and use 8.8 ounces salted butter instead of 4.4 ounces unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for glazing
Rest the pastry dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight (see page 29). As you are using double the quantity of butter, the dough needs a long time to set.
Lightly grease two baking sheets. Flour your work surface and roll out the dough about ⅛ inch thick. Use a 2½–3-inch round cutter or tumbler to stamp out circles. Brush off any excess flour, then place on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the beaten egg. Using a fork, make wavy patterns on the top of each cookie, then put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up again before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies for 12–15 minutes, until golden.
Everyone loves shortbread, and it is so easy to make—just one step beyond the rubbing-in stage for sweet pastry. Then all you have to do is press the crumbly mixture into a baking pan and put it into the oven. That’s it! I usually cut the slab of shortbread into classic finger shapes, which means none of it is wasted, but you could use a cutter to stamp out shapes of your choice if you prefer.
Makes 24
1 recipe Sweet Pastry (see page 17), but use only 1 egg yolk rather than 2 eggs and 1 yolk, and add 2.1 ounces semolina to the flour
When making the sweet pastry dough, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
Add the sugar and the egg yolk. The mixture will be crumbly and a little sticky, like the topping for a fruit crumble.
Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a deep 9½-by-7-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press down gently, easing the mixture into the edges and corners so that you have a flat layer about ⅝ inch deep. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 45–50 minutes. When it is ready, the shortbread should be very lightly colored.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool a little. Carefully lift out the shortbread, still on the parchment paper, and use a sharp knife to cut it widthwise into 12 strips about ¾ inch wide. Cut in half across the middle so that you end up with 24 fingers.
Think of this as another bonus recipe. It is a variation on amaretti, and although it doesn’t follow the usual sweet pastry method, it is perfect for using up any egg whites, crème pâtissière, or apricot glaze left over from other recipes.
Makes 36–40
10.5 ounces confectioners’ sugar, plus a little extra for rolling out
10.5 ounces ground almonds
2 teaspoons honey
3 egg whites
leftover apricot jam, Crème Pâtissière (see page 105), or sliced almonds, for finishing
Mix the confectioners’ sugar and ground almonds together. Add the honey and egg whites and mix until you have a smooth, firm dough. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 300°F and lightly grease two baking sheets.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Dust your work surface with confectioners’ sugar and roll each piece of dough into a rough sausage shape, about 1 inch in diameter and 8 inches long. Slice each sausage into 8–10 equal pieces.
Lay the rounds of dough on the prepared baking sheets, then gently press your thumb into the center of each so that it leaves an indent. Fill the indents with a little jam, crème pâtissière, or sliced almonds. Bake for about 15 minutes.
To test if the cookies are ready, take the baking sheets out of the oven and tap them lightly on a work surface. The cookies should release themselves from the baking sheets. Leave to cool.
Like the previous recipe, this one also makes good use of egg whites left over from making pastry. These classic fine, crisp cookies take their name from their shape, which is supposed to resemble a cat’s tongue, and they are really simple to make.
Take the butter out of the refrigerator in advance to soften it, or use the rolling pin method (see page 18), rather than put it in the microwave and risk it becoming oily.
Makes about 24
3.9 ounces butter, softened and cut into pieces
grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
3.9 ounces superfine sugar
3 egg whites
3.9 ounces all-purpose flour
1 drop vanilla extract
In a bowl, beat the butter with the lemon zest until soft. Add the sugar and continue to beat until pale and creamy, scraping the mixture from the sides of the bowl as you do so. Gradually beat in the egg whites and, finally, the flour, until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the vanilla and rest the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 300°F and grease two baking sheets.
You can either pipe the mixture, which gives neatly shaped cookies, or you can spoon it, which will give more interesting, slightly uneven shapes. It is up to you. If you decide to pipe the mixture, fill a piping bag fitted with a very small plain tip (see page 61) and pipe strips of 2½–2¾ inches (or longer if you prefer) onto your prepared baking sheets. Leave a finger-width space between the strips, as once the mixture is in the oven, it will spread out.
If you prefer to use a spoon, place about ½ teaspoon of the mixture on a prepared baking sheet and use the back of the spoon to spread it into a strip about 
inch thick. Repeat this step with the rest of the mixture, leaving a finger-width space between the strips. Don’t worry about the shape—the mixture will form its own in the oven.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the centers of the cookies are pale golden and the edges a darker golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, but leave the cookies in place for a few minutes before lifting off with a small, thin spatula and cooling on a wire rack.
