Juliet Sear's crunchy filo crinkle tarts
Juliet's introducing the crinkle tart, a concertina of shop bought filo pastry creates a crinkle pattern before piling in your cheesy tomato and herb filling. Once you've learnt the easy method, there are endless possibilities for flavour riffs - sweet or savoury!
Cheese and Tomato Crinkle Tart
Makes 1 large tart (23 x 33cm)
Ingredients
8 sheets fresh filo pastry 100g butter, melted250g tomatoes, sliced in half and salted, set aside in a colander for an hour (or use sunblushed)200g very strong cheddar, thinly sliced
For the filling: 300ml double cream4 medium free-range eggs2 tbsp picked thyme leaves (optional)Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
1. Grease a 23x33cm metal baking tin, and line with parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas mark 4.
3. Crinkle the filo dough together to create folds in a concertina style, about 1 inch thick. Transfer the sheets to the tray and lay them close together across the base of the tin. Brush the melted butter over the pastry, add the tomato slices, and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
4. While the pastry bakes, beat the eggs with the cream, thyme (if using) and seasoning.
5. Remove the pastry from the oven, and stuff the cheese slices into the pastry (keeping any excess crumbles of cheese) and pour over the egg mixture. Scatter over the remaining cheese, and bake for around 35 minutes until bubbling, dark golden in colour, and cooked through.
Fruit Crinkle Tart
Makes 1 large tart (23 x 33cm)
Ingredients
8 sheets fresh filo pastry 100g butter, melted
For the filling: 300ml double cream 3 eggs75g caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Nectarines or peach:2-3 nectarines of peaches, thinly sliced 75g raspberriesIcing sugar, for dustingHoney (optional)
Chocolate/hazelnut & banana:2 bananas, sliced50g milk or dark chocolate chips40g roasted chopped hazelnuts200g chocolate/hazelnut spread
Method
1. Grease a 23x33cm metal tin, and line with parchment paper if non-stick.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas mark 4.
3. Crinkle the filo dough together to create folds in a concertina style, about 1 inch thick. Transfer the sheets to the tray and lay them close together across the base of the tin. Brush the melted butter over the pastry, making sure it is all coated and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, beat together the cream, eggs, caster sugar and vanilla, and set aside.
5. Remove the part-baked tart from the oven and tuck the thin peach segments into the crispy folds. Dot over the raspberries, then pour over the custard mix.
6. Bake for around 35 minutes until it is really crunchy and dark golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then dust with icing sugar and drizzle with warm honey (if you wish). Cut into 8 large slices or 12 smaller ones, and serve.
7. For the chocolate/hazelnut & banana, repeat the same process as above adding the slices of banana and nuts, add spoonfuls of chocolate/hazelnut spread into the folds, reserving some to warm through and drizzle over the top once baked and cooled for 10 minutes.