Manchester Tartlets Recipe

For the pastry (paste):
225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup butter, diced

Cold water, to mix
For the filling:
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup milk

20 g/0.75 oz/1.5 tbsp butter

Grated rind of 1 small lemon

2 large eggs, separated
100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup caster (superfine) sugar

50 g/2 oz/1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
A little raspberry jam (conserve)

Method:

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter 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 the 12 sections of a tartlet tin (patty pan). Prick the bases with a fork and fill with crumpled foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 15 minutes. Remove the foil after 10 minutes.

To make the filling, put the milk in a saucepan with the butter and lemon rind. Heat until the butter melts. Beat the egg yolks with 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp of the caster sugar. Whisk in the warm milk mixture, then stir in the breadcrumbs. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Spoon into the pastry cases (pie shells) and bake for 20 minutes until set. Leave to cool, then carefully lift out of the tins and transfer the tarts to a baking (cookie) sheet. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in half the remaining sugar and whisk again until stiff. Fold in the remaining sugar. Spread a little jam over the top of each tart, then top with the meringue mixture. Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150°C/300°F/ gas mark 2 and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the meringue is crisp and a pale biscuit colors.