Baked Ricotta & Cherry Tomato Tartlets

(makes 24)

This recipe was introduced to me by my sister's friend Nat. My sister came home from Nat's house after a party and was star-struck and gushing about these ricotta tarts, amongst other goodies (despite not bringing any home for me to try). "So easy and simple and delicious, what a great combo!" she kept saying. So whilst brainstorming ideas for a cooking demo, it came up as a strong contender. In the end, I conceded, we experimented and ta-da! She was right, now you can give it a go and make an impression at your next dinner party!

Prep time: 15 min

Cooking time: 25-30 min

Ingredients:

2 sheets shortcut pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

150g ricotta

2-3 T chives, finely chopped

rind of 1 lemon

50g cheddar/tasty cheese

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

spray oil

Special equipment: 24 mini muffin tray

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C. Lightly spray the muffin try with spray oil.

2. Use a scone cutter to cut the pastry and fit into muffin moulds.

3. Mix the egg, ricotta, chives, lemon rind and tasty cheese together.

The filling

4. Fill the tarts until 3/4 full and add the cherry tomato half on top.

5. Bake for 25-30 min, or until brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve!