MINIS & INDIVIDUALS

vanilla crème brûlée cheesecake tarts

MAKES 8 | PREP 30 mins (+ 5 hours chilling & cooling) | COOKING 45 mins

170g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
140g ( 2 /3 cup) caster sugar
200ml thickened cream
4 egg yolks
1¹ /2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp plain flour
2 tbs finely chopped pistachio kernels
Freeze-dried strawberries, to decorate
Edible flowers (such as elderflower), to decorate (optional)

pastry

100g butter, chopped, at room temperature
100g ( 1 /2 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs
300g (2 cups) plain flour

1 To make the pastry, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Sift in the flour and beat until the mixture just comes together to form a ball (do not overmix). Shape the dough into a disc and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.

2 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Press each portion into the base and up side of eight 250ml (1 cup) non-stick muffin pans. Use a fork to lightly prick the dough (this will prevent pastry puffing up while baking). Line each 1 with a square of baking paper. Fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges of the pastry begin to crisp up. Gently remove the paper and weights or rice and bake for a further 7-8 minutes or until the pastry is light golden. Set aside to cool slightly. Reduce oven to 120°C/100°C fan forced.

3 Use electric beaters to beat the cream cheese and 70g ( 1 /3 cup) sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add the cream, egg yolks, vanilla and flour. Beat until combined. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pastry cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheesecake mixture just begins to set but wobbles slightly in the centre. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Place