"Today I am making Tarts", JoAnn, my aunt visiting us from the US, announced. And as kids we were all so excited to hear that! This was a treat we used to look forward to whenever she visited. This was back when we didn't have bakeries like Theos, Big chill etc. She was kind enough to pass this recipe down to me and now I share this with you.
INGREDIENTS –
For the Short Crust Pastry
- 240gms (1 3/4 cup) – All purpose flour
- 1/2tsp – Baking powder
- 1/2tsp – Salt
- 25gms (1/8 cup) – Pwd. Sugar
- 150gms – Chilled Butter
- Chilled water 1/2tbsp
For the Cheese Filling
- 2tbsp butter
- 2tbsp all purpose flour
- 3/4cup warm milk
- 3 heaped tbsp grated cheese (you can adjust according to your taste)
- Seasonings – oregano,mustard powder,salt and pepper
METHOD –
For the Short Crust Pastry
- Sift together all the dry ingredients in a wide bowl/dish.
- Cut the chilled butter into cubes and rub it into the dry mix with your fingertips. The result will resemble breadcrumbs.
- Add just enough water to bring the dough together.
Pat it together and chill it for atleast an hour, or more. - Roll out the dough and line your tart cases – about 1/8″ in thickness. Work fast, since butter melts fast.
- After lining, always chill your tarts once again.
In the meantime, preheat your oven to180C. - Once chilled, prick the lined dough with a fork to avoid any bubbles and rise.
- Bake for 15mins or till golden brown.
For the Cheese Filling
- Heat the butter in a saucepan. Once hot, add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes. The flour should not change colour.
- Add in the milk little by little while continuously stirring with a whisk. You want to make sure no lumps are formed
- As it starts to thicken, add in the cheese and take it off the heat.
- Add seasonings to taste.
- Saute finely chopped vegetables of your choice on the side and add to this sauce -I usually add corn, peppers and mushroom.
- Finally, to make cheese tarts – fill your bre baked tart cases with the sauce and bake again for 3-4mins at 180C.
