Blue cheese and frangipane tarts
Sweet and salty with a lovely nuttiness, these blue cheese and frangipane tarts are perfect served at the end of a meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sunflower oil, for greasing
- 2 tsp plain flour, for dusting
- 2 free-range eggs
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú ground almonds
- ½ tsp almond or vanilla extract
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú flaked almonds
- 80g/3oz soft, rindless blue cheese, cut into eight slices
- 4 tsp runny honey
- fresh baby sage leaves, to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Lightly grease 4 x 8cm/3in non-stick, loose-based fluted flan tins. Lightly dust with the flour, shaking out any excess. Line the bases with small circles of baking parchment. Put on a baking tray.
Put the eggs, sugar, butter, ground almonds and almond or vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk with electric beaters until the mixture is smooth, pale and creamy. You can also do this by hand.
Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread to the sides. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for 20–25 minutes or until risen, pale golden brown and firm to the touch.
Remove from the tins – holding very carefully with an oven cloth as they will be extremely hot – and transfer to four plates.
Top each tartlet with two slices of cheese and toast with a chef’s blow torch (or put close to a preheated hot grill for a few seconds) until the cheese has melted. Drizzle over the honey and garnish with the baby sage leaves to serve, if you like.
