Foodie Friday - Maids of Honour

For a foodie, Maids of Honour are a sort of tart – the tart you eat…  They are said to have been named by Henry VIII after one of the then Queen's then Maids of Honour, Anne Boleyn.

They are simple little tarts – having puff pastry cases filled with sweetened cheese curds.

Thanks to The Telegraph, this is a recipe for them:

Maids of Honour recipe

Makes 24

450g (1lb) shortcrust pastry

100g (4oz) curd cheese

75g (3oz) butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

65ml (2½fl oz) brandy

75g (3oz) caster sugar

75g (3oz) cold mashed potatoes

25g (1oz) ground almonds

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Grated rind of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

If making your pastry, chill for at least 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Grease 24 patty tins.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry and cut 24 circles using a 7.5cm(3in) cutter. Use to line the prepared patty tins. Beat together the curd cheese and butter. Add the beaten eggs, brandy and sugar and beat again. In a separate bowl beat together the mashed potatoes, ground almonds, nutmeg, lemon rind and juice, and gradually mix in the cheese mixture. Beat thoroughly.

Spoon into the pastry cases and bake for 35–40 minutes until risen, golden and firm.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes before lifting carefully on to a wire rack to finish cooling.