Ricotta Tarts

These Italian Ricotta tarts are so easy to make, a bambino could make them. And so I did make them after Auntie Razia showed me how to bake them in just ten minutes. The preparation takes a little longer, but that's okay.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 lb Ricotta cheese (500g)

½ cup castor sugar (125g)

½ cup mixed candied orange peel and lemon peel (125g)

Pastry:

2 cups plain flour (500 ml)

4 oz butter (125g)

½ cup castor sugar (125g)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

And a pinch of salt 

Method

The filling is easy. Kids stuff for the bambini, as I was then. Just mix the ricotta cheese together with the ½ cup of sugar and the ½ cup of mixed candied peels. Don't eat them yourself, or there won't be enough for the Ricotta tarts.

To make the pastry, just sift your flour into a bowl and rub-in the butter. Add the sugar and the salt; then add the lightly-beaten egg yolk. Mix the concoction into a ball, but do not knead it. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge. 

After one hour, take the ball out of the fridge and roll out the pastry quite thinly. Then cut it into round shapes which will fit into small greased tartlet baking tins. Chill for ten minutes, then prick the pastries well with a fork and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes or until golden.

Take out the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool.

Two minutes before you are ready to serve them up to your guests, spoon your ricotta cheese filling into the tarts. Then take your fresh Ricotta tarts out to the dining room and serve.