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Neenish tarts
Little Australian pastry tarts filled with jam and mock cream and iced half chocolate, half white
Neenish tarts have sat in the windows of Australian country bakeries for more than a century, and they're also found across the Tasman in New Zealand. Where the name comes from is still argued over, with one story placing it in the small town of Grong Grong in New South Wales. A crisp sweet pastry case holds a thin layer of raspberry jam and a fluffy mock cream, a beaten mixture of butter, sugar and milk, and the top is iced in two halves: one white, one chocolate. Many bakery mock creams use gelatine; this one doesn't. Chef's tip: beat the mock cream for a long time, a full 8–10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and it is white and fluffy, not gritty.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
For the icing
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 4 oz cold butter into 7 oz plain flour and 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar until it looks like fine crumbs. Mix in 1 egg yolk and just enough 2 tbsp cold water to bring it together. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Roll the pastry out 3 mm thick and cut 12 rounds with an 8 cm cutter. Press them into a greased 12-hole patty or tartlet tin and prick the bases with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until crisp and pale golden. If the bases puff, press them down gently with a teaspoon while hot. Cool completely in the tin.
15 minStep 4: Make the mock cream: beat 4 ½ oz butter and 3 ½ oz caster sugar with an electric whisk for 3 minutes. Beat in 2 tbsp boiling water a little at a time, then 2 tbsp cold milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract a little at a time. Keep beating for 8–10 minutes in all, until white, fluffy and smooth. A common mistake is stopping early: rub a little between your fingers, and if it feels gritty, beat on.
10 minStep 5: Put 1 tsp of 4 tbsp raspberry jam in each pastry case, then fill with mock cream and smooth it level with a palette knife, flush with the rim. Chill for 20 minutes to firm.
25 minStep 6: Mix 7 oz icing sugar with enough 2 tbsp hot water for a thick, spreadable icing. Put half in a second bowl and stir in 1 tbsp cocoa powder with a few drops more water.
3 minStep 7: Hold a piece of card across the middle of each tart and spread white icing over one half. Let it set for 10 minutes, then ice the other half with the chocolate icing, making a neat line down the centre.
20 minStep 8: Leave until the icing is set, about 30 minutes. Keep in a cool place and eat within 2 days, while the pastry is crisp.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does neenish tarts take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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