Ingredients
- 180g pouch Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts
- 130g icing sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 3 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 130g soft unsalted plant-based butter (I used flora) + 60g for the tart tops
- 1 tbsp brandy or rum (optional)
- 4 x 16cm circles vegan pastry
- 8 ripe figs
- 4 heaped tablespoons fig or apricot jam
- 4 tbsp water
- Oat crème fraiche
- Vegan caramel or vanilla ice cream
THE TARTS
SERVE WITH
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190C.
- Start with the chestnut frangipane. Set up your food processor. Remove the 6 biggest and prettiest whole chestnuts, then set them aside to put on top of the tarts later. Put the remaining chestnuts and the icing sugar into the bowl of the food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Add the plant-based butter, ground flax seeds, almond milk, cornflour, and brandy or rum if you are using it. Blend until well combined and you have a very smooth cream, let this take a minute or two, the longer the cream blends, the lighter it becomes.
- Line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat. Put 4 circles of pastry onto it. Put 60g of the chestnut cream onto each circle. Store the rest for another use. (It freezes well) Spread the cream to the edge of the pastry circle. Turn the edges in slightly to make a border.
- Cut the 6 chestnuts you set aside into quarters. Push 6 quarters into the cream on each tart.
- Cut the figs into 6 wedges. Put the wedges onto the tarts between the chestnut quarters.
- Melt the 60g of butter, Brush it over the figs. Dust the tarts generously with icing sugar.
- Bake the tarts for 18-20 minutes in your pre-heated oven or until they are light brown on top and dark brown around the edges.
- Put the jam and water together in a small cup or pan. Warm them through just enough to melt. Brush the melted jam over the top of the tart to glaze. Dust the edges with icing sugar.
- Serve with the oat crème fraiche and ice-cream (if using).
Good to know!
You can bake the tarts or prepare them to the point of baking up to a day in advance.
