Blackberry and Goats’ Cheese Tarts


Tony Briscoe © Blackberry and goats cheese tarts
Credit: Love Fresh Berries

Heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day, make them for the one you love!

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 35min

  1. Pre-heat the oven to Fan Oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle measuring 40cm by 250cm, place it on a pre greased baking sheet and place into the fridge (or form into heart-shapes if preferred). Using a hot, wet knife cut the goats cheese in half-length ways and then into at least 15 slices. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, and using a fork puncture holes into it. Beat the egg with a little milk and brush all the edges of the pastry, cover the pastry with the goat’s cheese, sprinkle over all the berries and place this into the fridge whilst you make the syrup.
  2. Finely chop up the chilli, add to a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently heat the mixture to just dissolve the sugar. Remove the pastry and goats cheese from the fridge, and using a pastry brush, brush over the berries and goats cheese with the syrup and bake in the oven for 20-30min. Allow to cool.
  3. Serves beautifully with green leaves, and walnut and blackberry vinaigrette. To make the vinagrette, combine in a large bowl the English mustard, a good pinch of salt, and sugar, the vinegar, walnut oil and blackberries. Whisk these ingredients together vigorously, pass through a sieve and finish with a bunch of finely chopped chives.