Jalebi and Saffron Crème Tartlettes
For the pastry:
- 200g all purpose flour 115g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 egg combined with 2 tablespoons of cold water, lightly beaten
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 1 big jalebi from a local sweet shop
- 300ml whipping cream
- 50g caster sugar
- 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- A pinch of saffron strands
- Chopped pistachio
- Edible gold leaf, for decoration
Directions:
- Put the flour, a pinch of salt and the butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs.
- Add the sugar and briefly pulse again. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture and pulse until the dough comes together, adding more liquid if needed.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line four deep-fluted tartlette tins (8 x 3cm).
- Place the tins on a tray and chill for half an hour, atleast. Heat oven to 190C. Line each pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (use uncooked rice grains or lentils, if baking beans aren’t available).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the sides are set.
- Remove the parchment and beans and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 150C.
- Pour the cream in a saucepan, along with vanilla extract, saffron strands and nutmeg.
- Heat until small bubbles begin to form around the sides of the pan, then leave to infuse for a few minutes.
- In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar. Keep stirring, then pour in the cream, mixing until combined.
- Strain through a sieve to remove any cooked eggy bits.
- Roughly cut market bought jalebis into quarters, and place one in each tart base. Pour the custard into the tart shells, then bake for 18- 22 minutes until almost set. Leave to cool completely, and then chill for atleast half an hour.
- Finish off with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and dot each tartlette with gold leaf.
- Tags: dessert, Jalebi, Pakistani Dessert, recipe