Oh drat. This should have gone weeks ago. I promised a dear friend long before Christmas that I would write about this pudding and look where we are now. Half way through January, Christmas has been and gone, the turkey carcass, thankfully, has disappeared, new year feels like a distant memory and my gorgeous friend has vanished, I mean not literally, but she has gone, gone to America. Given how long I have taken to get round to writing this it is going to be brief and to the point, partly because it feels slightly like one of those rather nasty hangovers that lingers on all day. I mean after all the intention had been there eons ago in December and I now just have to press the publish button in order if nothing else but to just move on. Here goes…….this is what I wrote 4 weeks ago but I think you’ll get the point, it is almost a ‘posthumous’ post but bare with me the recipe is worth it.

‘What with the season of goodwill my last contribution in my rather frantic run up to Christmas comes in the form of a totally seductive tart. People who allegedly ‘don’t’ do pudding, do this one! It is of course extremely naughty, very heavy on the butter, but try and ignore that side, the tart is sublime, divine and shockingly good. This all sounds like I am little surprised, and frankly first time I baked it I was. A nutty, buttery aroma enveloped the kitchen, yet to look at this tart it is hardly going to win a beauty contest. As I have long been told ‘it is what is inside that matters’ never could this be more true, one bite into this nutty, buttery marvel will have you smitten. Please be brave and give it a whirl I think you will agree it is probably one of my best pudding discoveries. Less of my ranting, and less of my occupational therapy, ( in terms of this blog), duty calls and I really must crack on with the mountain of presents that need wrapping. I wish you all a joyful and happy Christmas and peace and prosperity in the new year.’

So there you go! That should have been sent out over a month ago and of course I realise January is possibly the worst month to talk people into making puddings, so my advise is ditch the diet or wait till February! Never have I been asked for a recipe more and sadly I can’t even claim it as my own. Quite delicious….yum…yum…yum…!

Hazelnut Tart – My favourite ingredients – Skye Gyngell

Serves 8 – 10

Pastry

250g plain flour

125g butter

30g caster sugar

1 organic, free range egg

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

300 g of shelled hazelnuts

300g of caster sugar

3 whole organic free range eggs

300g of butter in pieces

Pastry

Have all the ingredients well chilled, tip the flour, butter, sugar, zest into a food processor and pulse until it comes together like wet breadcrumbs, add in the egg and pulse till the pastry comes together as a ball. Take out the pastry and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pre- heat oven to 190.

After the pastry has rested remove from the fridge, line your tart tin (25cm) and then place back in the fridge to relax again for 15 minutes.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes till just colored – or if you are using hazelnuts with the shells on – pop in the oven for the same time or thereabouts until the shells are easy to rub off.

When the pastry has been chilled again, line the case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans and bake the case off blind in the oven. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the case cool.

Place the butter, sugar, zest and eggs in a blender  and pulse till well combined. Add the nuts to this mix and pulse, leaving them half textural and half ground. Spoon the mix into the tart case and place back in the oven for 30 -35 minutes, until golden, the filling should be just soft in the centre. If it is going to brown but is not set cover loosely with foil.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with creme fraiche and raspberries.