Mixed Nut and Prune Mini Tarts

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 12

Ingredients

375g shortcrust pastry
100g prunes, pitted and chopped
100g dried apricots chopped
½ cup duo almonds and cashews, roughly chopped
¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
300mL thickened cream
50g butter
Zest of 1 orange
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch cardamom powder
Pinch salt

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Roll pastry so it is 2mm thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut 6cm rounds and line a greased mini 12-hole cupcake tin with the pastry rounds. Place individual pieces of baking paper into the pastry and weigh down with dried pulses or rice. Blind bake in the oven for 15 minutes before removing the paper. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry shells are golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the caramel sauce, combine the sugar, cream and butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or until mixture just comes to the boil and becomes thick. Remove from the heat and add the fruit and nuts, orange zest, cardamom, salt and cinnamon.
Cool a little before spooning into the tart shells.