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| Ingredients | | For the pastry | | 125g unsalted butter, cubed and softened | | 100g sugar | | 1 egg | | 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest | | 280g flour | | 1 teaspoon baking powder | | pinch salt | | Lemon Honey | | 3 eggs | | 100g sugar | | 50g unsalted butter, diced | | 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest | | 125ml lemon juice | | For the filling | | ¾ cup cream cheese, cubed and softened | | 185ml lemon honey (recipe above) | | 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest | | For the icing | | 90g good-quality dark chocolate, melted | | 90g good-quality white chocolate, melted |
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| Neenish Tarts |
| 16 / 04 / 07 Ruth Pretty, Issue 122 |
| Photography by Kieran Scott |
At primary school on Mondays we were encouraged to buy our lunch. Most of Karori School would traipse down to the shops and queue outside Solite Bakery for a pie and doughnut, or a pie and a Neenish tart. Tops were decorated with chocolate and white icing, or pink and white icing. The tarts were wide and shallow, the pastry was crisp and the filling, while lemony, was based on condensed milk. Delectable and definitely worth the walk and the queue.
The little morsels in this recipe are great with coffee and have thicker, more buttery shells than I remember. The filling is less sweet and made with lemon honey, and the icing is simply good-quality chocolate.
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Method |
For the pastry
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer or a mixing bowl, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and lemon zest, and beat well until combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture and beat until combined and the dough begins to form a ball. Turn out on to a lightly floured board and knead into a ball, then flatten to a disc. Wrap this pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Grease 36 baby muffin tins with baking spray or melted butter. Break off small pieces of pastry (3cm balls) and press into the tins with your fingers. Trim where the pastry is higher than the tin. Using a table fork, prick the pastry cases and bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the pastry is a light golden brown.
Remove the tins from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. While still warm, press the base of each pastry case with the back of a measuring spoon to create a maximum cavity for the filling.
Lemon Honey
This is the main flavour component of the filling. My recipe is adapted from the Edmonds Microwave Cookery Book and is a failsafe way of making the delectable spread.
Place the eggs and sugar in a microwave-proof bowl and whisk until combined but not frothy. Add the butter, zest and juice, and stir until just combined. Place in a microwave and cook on high for 6-8 minutes, whisking after every minute, until the mixture is smooth and creamy, and has thickened.
Cool for a few minutes then pour into a container. When cold, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Makes 440ml.
For the filling
Place the cream cheese in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon honey and lemon zest and whisk again until combined. Fill the pastry cases to the top and smooth off. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set.
For the icing
Use the best-quality chocolate you can. I use Valrhona or Callebaut. To ice the tarts, spread white chocolate over one half of each tart. Refrigerate until set, then spread dark chocolate over the remaining half. Refrigerate again until set.
Store the tarts in airtight containers with plastic wrap between each layer. They will stay fresh for up to 7 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Makes 36. 
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