Festive baking continues with Tarte Noël. This is a recipe of my
Grandma's son, Albert, who lived in North Wales for the last 20 or so years of his
life. I always make it during the Christmas and New Year holidays. It's a good
one to use the last of the (homemade) mincemeat and is a favourite for New
Year's Eve.
For the pastry:
4 oz/110g plain flour
pinch salt
2 oz /50g softened butter
2 egg yolks
2 oz/50g caster sugar
For the filling:
6 tbsps mincemeat
For the topping:
4 oz/110g ground almonds
2 oz/50g flaked almonds
2 eggs whites
almond extract
For the glaze:
2 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp boiling water
Method:
Sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub the fat into the flour.
Once the mixture is crumbly, make a well in the centre and add the egg yolks
and the caster sugar. Place in the fridge to chill for one hour. Roll out the pastry and line a 7 inch (roughly 18cm) flan dish.
Spread the mincemeat over the pastry base. Blend the ground almonds, egg whites
and almond extract and spread over the mincemeat. Cover the top with flaked
almonds and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 F / Gas mark 4 / 180
C. For the glaze, mix the apricot jam with boiling water, and brush this
over the top of the tart as soon as it is out of the oven.
I hope you enjoy it! I want to share lots of traditional recipes
so send me your favourites to keep the legacy of our Grandmas' baking alive. Have you
got a treasured family cake, pudding, pie or biscuit that they used
to make?