BLACKCURRANT CROUSTADE

Serves four to six For the cream cheese pastry: 175g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting 175g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 175g full-fat cream cheese For the frangipane: 100g ground almonds 100g unrefined golden caster sugar 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature One large free-range egg One free-range egg yolk 20g plain flour Vanilla extract For the filling: 700g blackcurrants The juice and grated zest of one lemon A little unrefined golden caster sugar A splash of cassis (optional) First, make up the frangipane; beat the butter and sugar in a mixer or by hand until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and yolk one by one, beating well to incorporate.

Add the ground almonds, flour and a splash of vanilla extract. You should end up with a lovely light creamy-smooth paste. Store this in a tub in the fridge until required, and allow it to come up to room temperature before working with it, as it might tear the pastry if it’s too cold and stiff.

To make the pastry, place the flour, butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Process the mixture on medium speed until it comes together, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle. Fold the top third over, and the bottom third up and over this double layer to make a neat-ish square. Turn this pastry 90º to the right and repeat the rolling and folding process.

Do this twice more, making four rolls and folds in total.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes, before repeating the whole fourtime rolling and folding process again, and finally shaping the dough into a rough disc.

Wrap and chill the pastry after the final fold.

To prepare the blackcurrants, simmer the fruit gently with the lemon zest and juice, a splash of cassis and a little sugar, if using.

To bake the croustade, lightly butter the cake tin. Once the dough is completely chilled and ready to use, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to ½cm thickness and ease it into the prepared cake tin.

Gently pipe or spoon in about 2cm thickness of frangipane all over the base, into the corners, and top with the blackcurrants. Fold the edges of the pastry over, pleating roughly as you go, and brush the top with beaten egg.

Sprinkle with the Demerara sugar and chill until required, but for at least half an hour. Heat the oven to 190ºC / Gas 5 and bake the tart on a baking tray for about 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is deep gold in colour.

Cool the croustade for a few minutes on a wire rack before unmoulding from the tin and serving with the clotted cream and a little herb garnish for colour.