Ingredients
175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1¹⁄³ cups icing sugar mixture, plus extra to serve
½ cup self-raising flour
1½ cups hazelnut meal (150g)
6 egg whites
2 tsps vanilla essence
125g punnet blackberries
1 small pear, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
Dollop thick cream, to serve
Method
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Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden, being careful not to burn it. Set it aside to cool slightly.
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Meanwhile, grease eight 10cm round x 2cm deep (base measures 8cm) non-stick, loose-base, fluted flan tins with extra butter. Line bases with rounds of baking paper. Place on a large oven tray.
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Sift icing sugar and flour into a large bowl. Stir in hazelnut meal.
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Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until just frothy. Add to flour mixture with melted butter and vanilla. Gently stir until combined. Stand for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened (this helps prevent mixture leaking through tins). Divide mixture evenly among prepared tins. Smooth over tops. Top with blackberries and sliced pear. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
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Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into centre of tarts comes out clean. Stand in tins for 5 minutes. Loosen around edges with fingertips. Lift tarts from tins.
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Dust tarts with extra icing sugar. Serve with cream.