These scrummy recipes you can try at home prove MasterChef John Torode really is king of Christmas tarts
Be the perfect festive host without stress with these two straightforward, hassle-free tart recipes by the telly chef
ENTERTAINING doesn’t have to be a chore over Christmas – just use some fail-safe recipes to stay stress-free in the kitchen.
Here, The Sun’s book editor NATASHA HARDING chooses her top party picks from MasterChef host John Torode’s latest book.
BERRY AND MASCARPONE TARTS
(makes 12)
YOU NEED:
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
250g softened butter, cubed
150g icing sugar, sifted
4 egg yolks
50ml water
300g mascarpone
120ml double cream
50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, slit lengthways and seeds scraped out
2 small punnets of berries (raspberries and blackberries or whatever is in season), washed
1 x 200g tin cherries in syrup, drained
METHOD: Get a 12-hole jam tart tin and a fluted cutter and heat the oven to 200C/180 fan/Gas 6.
Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt on to a worktop.
Make a well in the centre, add the butter and icing sugar and work them together with your fingertips.
Add the egg yolks and gradually draw in the flour, adding drops of the water as you go, until a dough forms.
Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
On a lightly floured worktop, roll out the pastry and use the fluted cutter to cut out circles large enough to line the cups of the 12-hole jam tart tin (the cutter should be just a bit bigger than the size of a hole – normally about 6cm).
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until they puff up in the centre.
Take the tin out of the oven and push the centres down with a piece of baking paper.
Put them back in the oven and bake for a further few minutes.
Turn the pastry cases out of their tins on to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Fill and top the tarts by beating the mascarpone with the cream, sugar and vanilla seeds until fluffy.
Spoon some of the filling into each tart and top with berries and cherries.
RELATED STORIES
TOMATO AND PESTO TARTS
Makes 4 tarts
YOU NEED:
500g block puff pastry (all-butter, if possible)
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs pesto from jar
8 plum tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
100g watercress
10ml olive oil
METHOD: Heat the oven to 220C/ 200 fan/gas 7 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
On a lightly floured worktop, roll the puff pastry out until it is about 2cm thick.
You will need to cut four circular discs from the pastry so find a small plate or saucer that’s about 16cm in diameter to use as a template.
Place the plate over the pastry and run a knife around the edge to cut out the discs.
Lightly score a margin about 1.5-2cm in from the edge of the pastry discs by finding a smaller plate you can use as a template.
Place the smaller plate in the centre of each pastry disc and lightly run a sharp knife around the edge, being careful not to cut through.
Lift the discs on to the baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. With a fork, prick the inner circle but not the outer edge – this will stop the pastry from rising in the middle but will allow the outer edge of the tart to rise up.
Take a good amount of the pesto and spread it over the inner circle of each tart.
Place the tops and bottoms of the tomatoes in the centre of the tarts, then start to lay the slices on top of the pesto so they overlap and create a swirl effect. It should look a bit like a Catherine wheel. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the tarts in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well risen and coloured.
Mix the watercress with the olive oil and serve.
— My Kind of Food by John Torode is published by Headline, £25.