Hi
On
Father’s Day, the boys hugged and wished their daddy before they were out for
their programme. Since there was no
special celebration on Father’s Day, I decided to stay home to bake.
While I
was browsing through the book Okashi
Sweet Sweet Treats Made With Love written by a Japanese lady named Keiko
Ishida. These pretty tartlets caught my
eye and I decided to make this.
My boss
has bought a few cookbooks for me and this was the latest one from him which I received
it on last Friday. I’m
totally into this book. It’s so pretty
and really able to make someone happy and alive by just looking at it.
I love
making sweet snacks on special or rare occasion. Since it is Father’s Day and it was only
hubby and I, so I decided to adore him with these pretty sweetie tartlets.
My sweet
tooth was totally satisfied and I've absolutely no guilt for these sweet treats. Hubby and I had 5. The boys had the rest and I kept a special
one for my boss!
HAPPY BAKING!
INGREDIENTS
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
140g Unsalted
butter at room temperature or softened
70g Icing
(Confectioner’s) sugar
A pinch Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
extract
40g Eggs
40g Ground
almond
260g Pastry
flour or top flour
Almond Cream
90g Unsalted
butter, softened
75g Castor
sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
extract
90g Ground
almond
75g Eggs
Caramel Cream
75g Castor
sugar
10g Glucose
(which is also Light Corn Syrup)
100g Whipping
Cream (35% fat)
50g Unsalted
butter
Assorted Nuts
20g Hazelnuts
20g Almond
silvers
20g Walnut
20g Pistachios
Dried Fruits
6 pcs Dried
Apricots
3 pcs Dried
figs (skipped, reason being I don’t have
them in the fridge)
30g Black
raisins (skipped, reason being I don’t have
them in the fridge)
30g Dried
cranberries
METHODS
(1)Prepare sweet short pastry. Beat butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla
extract with an electric mixer until just completed. Add egg yolk and beat well. Add ground almonds and mix well. Add flour and fold through completely. Using a bench scraper, mix batter until a
smooth dough is formed. Wrap dough in
cling film, then place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 3 hours.
(2)Preheat oven to 180°C.
(3)Unwrap dough and place on a non-stick baking mat or
parchment paper. Roll out to a thickness of 3-5mm.
(4)Using a 9.5cm fluted pastry cutter, cut out 10 rounds
from pastry. Gently press cut dough into
10 round tartlets tins, each 8 x 3 cm.
Prick center with a fork. [I short
cut this step by dividing the dough equally, roll it in round shape and press it directly
into the tartlets tin].
(5)Chill dough in the freezer for about 10 mins then bake
for 20 mins or the tart shells are light golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Keep oven heated.
(6)Prepare almond cream.
Beat butter and sugar until just combined. Add vanilla and mix. Add ground almonds, followed by eggs and mix
well. Do not over mix. Spoon almond cream into a pipping bag fitted
with a 1-cm pipping tip and pipe cream into tart shells, filling them up only
halfway.
(7)Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown in colour.
(8)Prepare caramel cream.
Place sugar and glucose in a saucepan and heat until sugar caramelizes. Gradually add cream while stirring with a
spatula. Mix until smooth. Remove from heat and leave to cool
slightly. Add unsalted butter.
(9)Bake assorted nuts in the oven for 20 minutes at 150°C
without preheating oven.
(10)Blanch dried fruit in boiling water, then drain and
pat dry. Cut blanched dried fruits into
small cubes.
(11)Stir toasted nuts and dried fruit into caramel
cream. Spoon mixture onto prepared tart
shells and serve.