Mini strawberry and cream tarts

I haven't made anything with pastry for quite some time,to be completely honest I always found making pastry something of a chore. 

That doesn't sound terribly good for someone that bakes as much as I do,I know.

Maybe its because I always made it by hand,even though it doesn't really take long at all.

I'm not exactly known for my patience you see.Anyway,I wasn't convinced that making it using a food processor would be the same. Well that is,until now! How wrong was I?! 

It was SO much easier and tasted just as nice as it was meant to. Which brings me to the mini strawberry and cream tarts I recently made.

Very Wimbledon'esque*! 

Aside from the pastry,I didn't need to do any weighing out of ingredients and pretty much played it by ear (or sight) 

Here's what you will need to make them. I made 6.
Fresh strawberries,sorry I didn't weigh the amount I used.
I had a punnet and just sliced them filling the tarts as I went along. There were LOTS left over.
1 packet of 'Greens red quick jel'
A small carton of double cream.
A small amount of chocolate to grate over the top.

For the pastry
250g sifted plain flour
125g chilled unsalted butter,cut into cubes
1tbsp icing sugar
1 beaten egg

To make the pastry,place the flour and butter into a food processor and quickly whizz it to a breadcrumb like texture.
Add around half of the egg and process it again,adding more of the egg if you need it.
The pastry is ready when it lifts away from the processor and comes together to a smooth dough.

Tip the mixture out and bring it into a ball then gently flatten it down a little.
Wrap it in cling film and pop it into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
When time is up,preheat the oven to 180 or gas mark 4,
dust a clean surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry.
Using a large cutter,cut discs big enough for the tart tins. Rolling out and cutting again until there are enough.

Prick the pastry all over with a fork.
Wrinkle up some parchment paper,place a piece in each tin and pour in some baking beans.

Bake in the oven for 15minutes...removing the baking beans at 10 minutes.
Set them aside to completely cool.

Slice the strawberries in any way you like and fill each tart,then follow the instructions on the quick jel packet.
I poured the jel into each tart,but next time I think I will brush it on to just give the strawberries a nice glossy glaze.
Whip up the double cream into soft peaks and pipe a swirl on top.
Top it off with a whole strawberry and a light sprinkle of grated chocolate.

Put your feet up,relax and enjoy the tennis!

*Not sure if thats a real word,but I think you get the idea.

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