Maids of Honor Recipe

For the pastry (paste):
200 g/7 oz/1 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup butter or hard block margarine, diced
Cold water, to mix
For the filling:
175 g/6 oz curd (smooth cottage) cheese
40 g/1.5 oz currants
50 g/2 oz caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Finely grated rind of I small lemon
15 ml/1 tbsp ground almonds
10 ml/2 tsp brandy or sherry
1 small egg, beaten

Method:

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add 90 g/3.5 oz of the butter or margarine and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll out and use to line 16 tartlet tin (patty pan) sections.

To make the filling, beat together the curd cheese and the remaining butter or margarine until well blended. Beat in the remaining ingredients. Spoon into the tarts. Cook in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for about 35 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar and cool on a wire rack.