Game of Thrones menu: Berry tarts

“A man was pushing a load of tarts by on a two-wheeled cart; the smells sang of blueberries and lemons and apricots. Her stomach made a hollow rumbly noise. “Could I have one?” she heard herself say.” – A Song of Ice and Fire

Winter is not coming, but summer certainly is and so is the season of berries. And since in this feature we are re-imagining recipes for our Game of Thrones viewing party, we have prepared the ultimate crowd-pleaser: individual berry tarts. Get a pint of ale ready, or pour yourself a massive goblet of wine, and gather your fellow members because Sunday the 24th couldn’t come any sooner.
This is another recipe in collab with godubrovnik.com, so head on over there to view more content. A King’s Landing party isn’t complete without a dessert and unfortunate “accidents”. But, let’s skip the second part. We always like to opt for smaller, individual pieces instead of a large one, they are very handy when it comes to parties and gatherings. This recipe is slightly tweaked from what we imagine is served in the series, to be suitable for modern palates, the difference being in the store-bought puff pastry. That’s right, these pies are so quick and easy to make since you can use this type of puff pastry instead of making your own pie dough. But if you like to venture into dough making, feel free to use your favourite pastry recipe. Don’t overdo the filling, because the real focus of each tart is the fruit, and the flavors of the berries in particular comes across beautifully. They need just a small amount of sugar and a hint of vanilla. Cornstarch is added to thicken the filling while baking, but you can slightly pre-cook the berries together with sugar and cornstarch, since we are using the frozen ones here. You don’t need tart pans for these pies, you can easily make them in your muffin pan.

• 250 g puff pastry
• 250 g mixed berries (frozen or fresh)
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Roll out your puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a round cutter and place each circle into a muffin pan. You don’t have to grease it.
Combine berries with sugar, vanilla and cornstarch and cook on the stove for a few minutes. Place a spoonful of the filling into each pastry cup. Bake at 200 C for 20 minutes. Let cool completely. You can garnish them with a dollop of whipped cream.