Colourful and just a little special.

Ingredients

• 400 grams sweet short pastry (recipe attached)
• ½ cup glace or candied cherries quartered
• ½ cup mixed peel
• ¼ cup glace angelica
• ¼ cup glace ginger, thinly sliced
• 125 grams butter
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• a few drops almond essence
• ¼ cup ground almonds (optional)

SWEET SHORT PASTRY

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup caster or icing sugar
• 100 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 egg yolks

Method

1. Roll the pastry out and use it to line 16 mini tartlet moulds.
2. Mix the cherries, peel, angelica and ginger together and divide it equally among the tartlets.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy and then beat in the egg yolks, almond essence and ground almonds if using. Divide evenly among the tarts.
4. Bake at 190°C towards the middle-bottom of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes to allow the pastry to become firm, before transferring to a cake rack to cool. Keep in an airtight container. Serve warm and dusted with icing sugar if wished.

SWEET SHORT PASTRY

1. Sift the flour and salt onto a bench and then make a well in the centre. Place the sugar, egg yolks and butter into the centre and knead together using your fingertips, preferably of one hand only. Once the ingredients are well mixed, begin to bring in the flour from the edges. Continue using your fingertips, as these are the coolest part of your hand. Once all the flour is incorporated and the pastry is smooth, wrap it in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. This will allow the pastry to rest and makes it far more manageable when rolling out.

Food Processor Method

1. Put the sugar, butter and egg yolks into the food processor fitted with a plastic or metal blade and process for 1-2 minutes until light and creamy. Pulse into the flour until just mixed. Do not over process. Wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 1 hour until required
2. The pastry can be frozen. For best results defrost in the refrigerator. Makes 400 grams.