I never made pastry until last year. It all seemed a bit of a faff with all the waiting around – while it’s resting in the fridge…while it’s blind baking…while it’s cooling…blah blah.
I’ve learned now that it’s best to make when I go running. I’ll whizz the pastry up in the processor and then go for my run. When I get back, I’ll put the oven on, roll it out, line the pastry tin(s) and stick it in the freezer. After my shower I’ll pop it in the oven to blind bake and then while it’s cooling I’ll have breakfast, lunch or supper or make the filling. This recipe works well with that routine!
YOU’LL NEED
For the pastry
200g plain flour
100g cold unsalted butter
pinch salt
2 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp iced coconut milk or water
For the filling
1 small packet of blueberries (around 250g)
2 tbsp blueberry or blackcurrant jam
225g soft unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
175g ground almonds
50g plain flour
4 eggs
3 tbsp Malibu Rum or coconut milk
3 tbsp heaped of finely grated creamed coconut
Handful fresh coconut flakes
Essential equipment
10 or 12 inch fluted, loose bottomed tart tin
Large cake lifter
To Make
1. Make the pastry – Blitz the flour, salt, icing sugar and dessicated coconut and cold butter in a food processor til fine breadcrumbs.
2. Beat the egg, lemon juice and iced water or coconut milk together and then slowly pour this into the food processor on slow speed til it forms a loose dough.
3. Scrape it out of the processor, give it a very light knead for about 30 seconds, cling film it and then put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. When it’s chilled, place it on top of a lightly floured surface , flatten the cling film on top and then roll the pastry out til it is a few millimetres thick.
5. Melt some butter, grease the tart tin and then line the tin with the rolled out pastry.
6. Put the whole tin in the freezer and leave it for a maximum of 20 minutes. At this point, put the oven on to 180C.
7. Take the pastry out of the freezer, prick it over with a fork gently, line it with some crumpled up baking paper and baking beans and then bake it for 15 minutes.
8. Take it out of the oven and leave it to cool.
9. Turn the oven down to 150C.
10. Now make the frangipane – Beat the soft butter and caster sugar in the KitchenAid or mixer til it’s nearly white and very fluffy.
11. Add an egg and some of the flour and ground almonds. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, flour and almonds.
12. Stir in the Malibu or coconut milk and finely grated creamed coconut.
13. Spread the jam over the base of the cooled pastry shell.
14. Sprinkle the fresh blueberries over the jam so there is a single layer on the base.
15. Spoon the frangipane over the top right up to the edges of the pastry and flatten it down with a knife.
16. Bake this for approx 45 minutes. Half way through, sprinkle over the fresh coconut flakes. Warning – the frangipane will be wobbly so use a cake lifter to take the tart tin out slowly.
Serve hot or cold with some crème fraiche and fresh blueberries.
This works equally well with raspberries and strawberries. Just change the jam to the same fruit.