BRAZIL NUT, CRANBERRY & PEDRO XIMENEZ TART
Making pastry is a real pleasure, and if you have a food processor it is quick too. However, this is not the time of year to add any new pressures, so if you are not a seasoned pastry-maker and feel at all intimidated by it, reach for a very good quality shortcrust from the chill cabinet. We have combined cranberries, brazil nuts and a little burst of clementine zest with the deep flavours of Pedro Ximénez sherry. Pedro Ximénez is a grape variety, its over-ripe grapes are dried in the sun to obtain a must that has an exceptionally high concentration of sugar. Dark in colour and rich in flavour, it is widely available in supermarkets and wine merchants but if you have a sweet Marsala in the cupboard, that will work equally well. Serve warm with crème fraiche or lightly whipped cream.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
250 g plain flour, sifted
125 g unsalted butter, cubed
30 g caster sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
For the tart:
160 g unsalted butter, softened
225 g light brown soft sugar
1 whole egg
25 ml Pedro Ximénez sherry
100 g plain flour, sifted
180 g brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
140 g fresh cranberries
Zest of 2 clementines
Method
For the pastry:
Pre heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4.
Tip the flour, sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, into a food processor, and add the butter. Switch on the machine until the mixture resembles wet sand, and eventually comes together in a ball. Remove the dough, wrap it in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
Use the pastry to line a 25 cm loose-base tart tin. Chill for 30 minutes, then blind bake for 15 minutes until just golden.
Remove the beans and the paper and return to the oven for another 5mins. Remove and allow to cool.
For the tart:
Reduce oven temperature to 175°C.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, clementine zest and a pinch of salt. Fold in the flour, pecans, sherry and cranberries, then spoon into the tart shell, pressing down lightly with your fingertips.
Bake for approx 40 minutes.
