Makes 8 small tarts in 8cm fluted tins.

Ingredients

225g plain flour
150g cold butter
75g ground almonds
75g caster sugar
1 large egg yolk plus 5 Tblsp cold water

Crème patissiere

4 egg yolks (reserve 2 whites)

60g caster sugar

25g plain flour

2 tsp cornflour

2Tsp Vanilla extract

280ml full cream milk.

4 tablespoons fresh double cream

Meringue

The 2 reserve egg whites

100g caster sugar

Small pinch of salt

To finish.

300mls double or whipping cream

2 Tablsp icing sugar

1 teasp vanilla extract.

150g of med fresh strawberries

½ Strawberry jelly.

METHOD     Heat oven to 180°C Fan

 Place the flour into a large bowl, cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. (You can do this in a processor if you have one)

 Stir in the ground almonds and the sugar and add the egg yolk and water

 Mix everything together until you have a soft dough.

 Roll the dough out and cut circles to fit your tins, they should be big enough to come slightly above the sides of the tin once pressed down.

 Place in the fridge to rest for about 20 minutes then take out and trim up.

 Prick all over with a fork and place a small piece of baking parchment in each case, fill with baking beans.

 Bake for 10 minutes then remove the beans and cook for a further 5 – 6 minutes to dry out.

 Remove from the oven and cool then take out of the tins on to a cooling rack. Lower oven temp to 120°C

 Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

 Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.

 Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk on high for 3 mins.

 Use two teaspoons to spoon meringue onto lined trays or pipe small shells using a small star nozzle.

 Bake meringues for 1 hour 20 mins. But do NOT brown. Turn oven out and leave meringues to dry.

 To make the crème patissiere beat the egg yolks and sugar for a few minutes until pale and slightly thickened.

 Add the flours and mix well.

 Heat the milk in a saucepan together with the vanilla and as soon as it starts to simmer remove from the heat and add to the to the egg mix beating all the time.

 Pour back into the saucepan and cook slowly until creamy and thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, cover to stop a skin forming and leave to cool completely.

 Fill each tart with the custard.

 Make the jelly as directed and when it is just starting to set (keep a close eye on it) gently spoon a thin layer over the tarts – chill to set.

 Cut the strawberries into quarters lengthwise and pat excess moisture away with kitchen paper. Any large quarters cut in half.

 Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and whip until just soft peaks (do not overbeat, you don’t want the cream too stiff)

 Break half your small meringues into small pieces, add to the cream mix along with the strawberries.

 Pile a good heap on each tartlet and finish with a couple of small shells and a small or piece, of strawberry

 Delicious.