Pimento Tartlets

These pretty Spanish tartlets are filled with strips of roasted sweet peppers and a cream, cheesy custard. They make a perfect snack to serve with drinks.

To make a different tartlet with a Mediterranean flavour, use strips of grilled brinjal mixed with sun-dried tomatoes in place of the peppers.

Ingredients:

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

375ml plain flour

75g chilled butter, diced

30-45ml cold water

60ml double cream

1 egg

15ml grated parmesan cheese

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C and heat the grill.

Place the peppers on a baking sheet and grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides. Cover with a dish towel and leave for 5 minutes. Peel away the skin, discard the seeds and cut the flesh into very thin strips.

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add the butter and rub into the mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs. Stir in enough water to make a firm, not sticky, dough.

Roll the dough out thinly on a lightly floured surface and line 12 individual moulds or a 12-hole tartlet tin or muffin pan. Prick the bases with a fork and fill the pastry cases with crumpled foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and divide the pepper strips among the pastry cases.

Whisk the cream and egg in a bowl. Season and pour over the peppers. Sprinkle each tartlet with parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm. Cool for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan, transferring them to a wire rack.

Serve warm or cold.