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Jamaican plantain tarts
Plantain tart: pastry turnovers with spiced ripe plantain and red edges
Bakeries across Jamaica sell plantain tarts in the glass case beside gizzada and bulla, each a half-moon of short pastry with a sticky, spiced ripe plantain filling and a pink-red rim from a dab of food colouring in the crimped edge. They are eaten as an afternoon snack with a cold drink or a cup of cocoa tea. People often use plantains that are only half ripe, and the filling never turns jammy; you want skins that are mostly black. The red edge is traditional but optional. Chef's tip: cook the filling until it is thick enough to hold a trail when you drag a spoon through it, or it will leak in the oven.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 5 ½ oz cold unsalted butterdiced
- ¼ cup iced waterabout
For the filling
- 3 very ripe plantainsskins mostly black, peeled and sliced
- ½ oz unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ oz brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup water
To finish
- 2 drops red food colouring (optional)optional
- 2 tbsp milkfor brushing
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp caster sugar, then rub in 5 ½ oz cold unsalted butter with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in enough of ¼ cup iced water to bring it together. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Put 3 very ripe plantains, ½ oz unsalted butter, 1 ¾ oz brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ½ cup water in a pan. Cook over medium heat, mashing as it softens, for 12–15 minutes until thick, jammy and dark gold. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and cool completely.
15 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F. Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and cut 10 circles about 12 cm across.
10 minStep 4: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half of each circle, wet the edge, fold over and press closed. Crimp the edge with a fork. If using 2 drops red food colouring, mix it with a few drops of water and paint it along the crimped edge with a fine brush.
10 minStep 5: Brush the tops with 2 tbsp milk, prick each once and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and crisp underneath. Cool on a rack; the filling is very hot straight from the oven.
28 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican plantain tarts take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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