Parmesan and Asparagus Tarts

Preparation

• 1
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, 160 degrees fan oven.
• 2
  2. Start by making the pastry. Place the wholemeal flour into a large bowl then sift in the self-raising flour. Add a good pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Cut the slightly softened butter into small pieces, drop them into the flour and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add just enough cold water to form a dough that is not too sticky
• 3
  I used 2 tablespoons. Leave in the fridge, wrapped in cling film or a plastic bag, for about half an hour
• 4
  3. Lightly grease a patty tin. Roll out the pastry fairly thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out circles with a cutter, pressing them gently into the prepared tin.
• 5
  4. Place the asparagus tips into a steamer and cook for just 4-5 minutes. Rinse in cold water to keep the bright green colour then cut each stalk into short pieces that will fit into the bottom of the tarts. Divide the asparagus equally between the tarts.
• 6
  5. Grate the parmesan and sprinkle on top of the asparagus.
• 7
  6. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the double cream, season well with salt and black pepper, and then whisk it all together thoroughly. Using a spoon, carefully fill each little tart with the egg mixture, making sure that it trickles down to cover the cheese and asparagus.
• 8
  7. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and the topping is golden brown.
• 9
  These tarts are really delicious served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container and eaten cold.
• 10
  If you don’t have parmesan, replace it with any other strong flavoured cheese, such as a mature cheddar.
• 11
  To add a little heat to the tarts, you could add a pinch of mustard powder to the egg mixture, or dust with a little cayenne pepper once cooked.