Italian Desserts Recipes - Frangipane Tarlets (Crostatine alla Mandorle) Recipe

Ingredients                               

• 150 g/5 oz/2/3 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

• 225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 10 ml/2 tsp grated lemon rind

• 30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice

• 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup caster (superfine) Sugar

• I1 egg, beaten

• 50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup ground almonds

• 100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup icing (confectioners') Sugar

• 15 ml/1 tbsp water

• A few drops of almond essence (extract)

• Fresh cherries, to decorate

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Method:

1. Rub 75g/3 oz butter into three­quarters of the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the lemon rind and bind with the juice until the mixture forms a soft dough. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out and cut into rounds with a pastry cutter. Line 24 greased bun tins (muffin pans) with the rounds.

4. Cream the remaining butter with the sugar and mix in the egg. Add the remaining flour and the ground almonds.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the pastry cases and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes until firm. Allow to cool.

6. Blend the icing sugar, water and almond essence together until smooth and spread over the cakes. Decorate each cake with a fresh cherry.