Baked Banana Tart

This is a great treat for banana lovers. With a sweet gooey center and lovely crisp pastry this is a fabulous dessert.

Tart shell:

• 1 egg
• 225g flour
• 125g butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp water
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• 2 banana's
• 1 egg
• 30g butter
• 60g sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Meringue:

• 4 tbsp castor sugar
• 2 egg whites

Cut the butter into cubes about 15 millimeters square. Sieve your flour, baking powder and salt into an empty bowl and add the butter cubes.

Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mix until the texture becomes like large bread crumbs. Set aside.

Beat the egg with a fork and add lemon juice and water. Add this to your pastry mix and form it into a ball.

Flatten the dough into a thick square and cover it with cling film. Put the dough in your refrigerator for about 1 hour and it's ready to use.

Remove the cling film and using a rolling pin flatten the dough into a sheet about 5 millimeters thick.

Using a small baking tin with a removable base, approximately 10 cm round and 6 cm high. Cover the removable base foil then lay the sheet of pastry on top of your tin and mold it into shape.

To stop the pastry from rising out of shape I have used some baking beads to retain it's shape. You can also use uncooked rice for this task.

Bake the pastry case at 180C (360F) for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Leave the pastry in the tin until it is filled.

Pro tip: Baking beads are made of ceramic and are a great addition to your baking equipment.

For the filling you will need:

• 2 banana's
• 1 egg
• 30g butter
• 60g sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Put your butter into a shallow pan over a low heat and add the sugar and lemon juice. Cook until it becomes a semi-thick paste.

Beat the egg then add in 1 teaspoon of the butter and sugar mixture.

Add your egg mix to the butter and sugar paste and mix to a smooth consistency over a low heat.

Mash the banana in a bowl and blend it into the pan mixture and cook for a further minute then remove from heat.

Pour the banana filling into the tart shell, (which is still inside the tin).

For the meringue combine your sugar and egg white and whip it until it has soft peaks. Scoop this onto the top of your tart. Any left over meringue can be baked on a piece of baking paper and enjoyed later as pavlova.

Place the tart in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C (360F) until lightly browned.

Here we have a finished 'Banana Tart'. With a gooey filling and pastry shell this treat is for those who enjoy a banana treat.