posted by BarbCA 02-11-100 11:31 AM
This is by James Beard.
Maids of Honour
For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 lb. sweet butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 hard cooked egg yolk
1 raw egg white
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Make a crown of the flour on a pastry board. In the center put the softened butter and all other ingredients.
With the fingers of one hand, work from flour into the center ingredients, forming the mixture into a paste. As you mix with the fingers, use the heel of the other hand to knead the mixture together.
When all the flour is absorbed, roll the paste into a ball and wrap it in waxed paper. Chill in the refrigerator while making the filling.
For the filling:
1/4 lb. pot cheese (cottage cheese)
1/4 cup sweet butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons ground, blanched almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
4 egg yolks
Nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Sieve the pot cheese. Cream the butter until light and beat in the cheese. Beat in all the other ingredients except the nutmeg.
Take the pastry out of the refrigerator and divide into 12 pieces. Press each piece into a tart pan (about 3" in diameter).
Fill each 2/3 full with the cheese mixture and dust the tops with a bit of nutmeg.
Bake at 350ºF. until the tarts are brown and the filling is just set, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and take from the pans while still warm.
Makes 12.
Note: I am using mini-muffin tins instead of tart pans so will have about 24 rather than 12 and baking for a shorter period of time.