SAVOURY PARMESAN TARTLETS

Makes 28

Freeze baked cases only

Ingredients:

For the parmesan pastry shells

375g ready made shortcrust pastry

Flour, for dusting

1 egg, beaten with a good pinch of salt

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

Hummus & roasted tomato

7 cherry tomatoes, halved

200g ready made hummus

Few chives

Smoked salmon & dill

250g soft cheese

85g smoked salmon

Dill sprigs

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large oblong measuring 30x40cm. Stamp out 24 rounds with a 6.5cm round cutter, then carefully place them in hertzoggie or muffin tins to form tiny tarts. Prick the bases with a fork.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, scatter with the parmesan and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Scrunch the pastry trimmings together, then re-roll and stamp out 4 more rounds. Glaze and bake as before. When all the pastry cases come out of the oven, roast the cherry tomato halves on a baking tray for 8 minutes. The cases will keep in a tin for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

To serve, fill some cases with a teaspoon of hummus, a cherry tomato and a few snipped chives. Fill others with soft cheese, a twirl of salmon, dill and black pepper.

VARIATIONS:

You can also fill these tartlets with prawn cocktail, pate and chutney….whatever takes your fancy.