Coffee Almond Tartlette

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink!

Recipe

Ingredients
Sweet pastry:
140g butter (cut into cubes and chill)
70g icing sugar
40g egg
1/2tsp vanilla paste
250g plain flour
35g ground almond
1/4tsp salt

Filling:
120g butter
80g icing sugar
100g ground almond
60g cake flour (sift)
2 egg
1tsp vanilla paste

Topping:
40g butter
40g icing sugar
45g plain flour (sift)
30g egg
1/2tbsp instant coffee powder (dissolved in 1tsp hot water)
1/2tsp coffee paste (optional)

Steps:
Sweet pastry:
1. Use a food processor, blend flour and butter till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add in icing sugar, salt and ground almond and blend till well combined.
3. Add in beaten egg and vanilla paste and blend till it form soft dough.
4. Wrap the dough up and let it rest in the fridge for 30mins.
5. Press some dough into tart mould.
6. With a knife, trim away excess dough at the edges.
7. Arrange it in a container, cover and let it rest in the fridge for another 30mins.
(You can prepare the pastry a day ahead.)

Filling:
1. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla paste until well combined.
3. Fold in flour and ground almond until well combined.
4. Spoon batter into piping bag and set aside.

Topping:
1. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg until well combined.
3. Fold in flour, coffee and coffee paste until well combined.
4. Spoon batter into piping bag and set aside.

Assemble tart:
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Remove tarts from fridge and thaw for 10mins.
3. Pipe filling into tarts about 70% filled and pipe coffee batter on it.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25mins.
5. Remove tarts from oven and cool them on a wire rack.