Mauritian Banana Tart with Hazelnut Topping

This is for those moments when you notice you have 3 or four bananas in the fruit bowl going way past their best. Bananas are one of those fruits that I just cannot eat when over ripe, but when you cook with them they taste fantastic as the flavour deepens as they ripen.

These gorgeous little Mauritian Banana Tarts were topped with a little hazelnut crumb on top for texture and added flavour. Quick, easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

3 over ripe bananas
2 tbsp. brown sugar
pack of shortcrust pastry
1 egg
12 hazelnuts
1 tsp. brown sugar
little butter for greasing

Method:

Mash the bananas and the 2 tbsp. brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Pop on the heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Leave to cool.

Use the butter to grease 2 x 12cm fluted, loose bottom tart tins. Cut 2 circles in the pastry a little larger than the tins and press the pastry in. Use a rolling pin rolled over the top to cut off the excess. Fill the pastry with the cooled banana mix and use the rest of the pastry to make a lattice top.

Use a small food processor to chopped the hazelnuts (or chop by hand) and mix with the 1 tsp. brown sugar. Sprinkle over the tarts and put on a baking sheet. Put in a 190 C oven for 15 minutes until golden on top.

Serve with ice cream - either hot or warm. Delicious!