Carrot, chestnut and walnut tartlets

These are delicious hot, cold or warm and can easily be made vegan by swapping out the egg and cream cheese for olive oil and non-dairy cream cheese, and using a puff pastry made without butter. If you prefer you can use use baby carrots instead of large ones — you will need about 20.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: approx. 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

10 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways 2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup 320g ready rolled puff pastry

1 egg, for glazing (use olive oil if vegan)

1 tbsp rapeseed/ vegetable oil, for frying 1 large white onion peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 140g dried chestnuts, roughly chopped

3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped plus a few extra to garnish

3 tbsp low-fat cream cheese

Garnish:

Sprigs of parsley and chopped walnuts

METHOD

Place the carrots in a pan of boiling water and cook for about 1012 minutes until tender.

Spread them in one layer on a baking tray. Carefully toss with olive oil, seasoning and maple syrup. Bake for 20 mins, turning once.

Cut the ready rolled pastry in half and divide each into three rectangles.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Put the pastry rectangles on the baking tray and score a border into the pastry about 2 cm from the edge.

Glaze the pastry with beaten egg or olive oil. Heat oven to 200°C. Heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until soft. Set aside.

Mix the chestnuts, walnuts, cream cheese and onion mixture together.

Place in the centre of the pastry keeping with in the border.

Top with the cooked carrots, placing them in neat rows within the border of the pastry.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and walnuts.