Walnut and Coffee Tart

Ingredients

For the pastry

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

125g cold butter, in small cubes

1egg yolk

60g icing sugar

For the walnut filling

250g sugar

150g double cream

50g salted butter

200g walnut halves, 6 left whole, the rest chopped

For the coffee icing

150g white cooking chocolate

75g double cream

1tbsp instant coffee granules

To serve

Crème fraîche

Method

For the pastry, put the flour in a mixing bowl and scatter with the cubes of butter. Rub together with your fingertips until only the tiniest flecks of butter remain.

Mix together the egg yolk and icing sugar with 25ml cold water. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid, then stir in with a table knife until the mixture clumps together. Press into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the dough into 6 and roll out each piece into a circle 3mm thick. Drape into 6 individual tart tins (10cm wide), pressing well into the edges. Trim with a sharp knife, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4. Line each tart with baking parch- ment and baking beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for 8-10 minutes more. Leave to cool a little, then remove from the tins.

For the walnut filling, put a third of the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. When it starts to caramelise, sprinkle in a little more sugar. Keep adding sugar, swirling the pan gently to encourage it to melt, until the caramel is a uniform amber. Quickly add the cream, then the butter and stir. Add the chopped nuts and divide the mixture between the tart shells, leaving about 1/4cm space below the rim. Level the top and leave to cool while you make the icing.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and coffee in a saucepan until simmering and pour over the chocolate. Leave to melt then stir together. Flood the icing evenly into the top of the tarts and place a whole walnut in the centre. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up, then serve at room temperature, with crème fraîche.

Feature Image: Issy Croker

This originally appeared on House & Garden UK