I seem to gone on a bit of a pastry bender over the last few weeks. Forgive me – but tarts of all kind are perfect summer foods. The Company Sophie Conran who make some exquisite stuff very kindly sent me some products to review.

The most adorable mini chopping board and oven glove. Having used cheap plastic chopping boards for so long it is wonderful to finally have something so beautiful and tactile. It also works well to serve things on in what my Aunt calls a “bit of everything” meal. I will definitely be buying more from this range in the future. The oven glove is such a sunny colour; I thought it would look put me in an instantly sunny mood while I was making my first tart (the lemon one).

Anyway, as the pastry recipe makes 2 things I froze half of the pastry and made a red fruit tart exactly a fortnight later.

To make your tarts you will need:

For the pastry

500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

140g icing sugar

250g unsalted butter, frozen and grated

4 egg yolks

1 – 2 tbsp cold water

(Makes 2 tarts, at least)

For 1 lemon tart filling

5 eggs

140g caster sugar

150ml double cream

The juice and zest of 2 big lemons

For the fruit tart filling

Your favourite soft fruits

1/4 of a pomegranate

250g marscapone (I used lighter marscapone)

Runny honey

Vanilla paste or a vanilla pod

 

Grate your butter and add to your icing sugar and flour. Either use your hands to rub together or whizz up in your food processor.

Add your egg yolks and whizz up again. If the mixture isn’t binding very well add the water.

Separate your pastry into two. Chill one in cling film for an hour and freeze the other for another day (or chill it and make 2 tarts at once!)

Roll out your pastry and put it in your tart tin without trimming and chill again for half an hour. Press the pastry into the sides and trim it to size. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Prick your pastry with a fork.

Bake the pastry for 10 minutes with baking beans and 20 minutes without. While this is baking make your lemon mixture by whisking together all the ingredients but the lemon zest. Sieve this and then add the zest. Add the lemon mixture to your tart and bake for a further 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and serve chilled. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

To make the fruit tart roll out your pastry following the instructions above. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes when lined with baking beans and 15 minutes without the beans.

While your pastry base is cooling make your creamy base by mixing together the marscarpone with your vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla paste. Add your runny honey to taste (I used approx 1 tbsp). Spread this generously across the pastry.

Prepare your fruits and arrange them across your tart in a charming yet casual way (ha!)

Serve with whatever you choose – I like it on its own but cream, sorbet or ice cream are all delicious with it.

There’s still time to enter my giveaway below if you like. But mostly I hope you attempt your own tarts if you fancy.

 

Also a massive thank you to Sophie Conran for sending me these product to review (which actually arrived on my birthday!). I loved them both and I found the single oven glove especially useful when I was trying to do several things at once in the kitchen. Also both have really brightened up my kitchen! I am a fan.

To purchase the exact oven glove and chopping board I was sent click on the links provided. The rest of the chopping boards in the set are definitely on my wishlist.