Mixed Berry Tart

As per usual, I was craving something sweet after dinner. I had left over pastry sheets in my freezer from when I made the Spinach Ricotta and Feta Pies and so I made this easy but impressive looking tart. This is great and easy to make if you have unexpected guests or like me you crave a dessert. I love frozen berries, as they are reasonably cheap and are available all year round - I always have some in my freezer and recommend it.

Note that using the square pastry with pastry border enables you to make any type of fruit pie. Cut up some fruit very thinly, place on the pastry and dust with sugar, brush the pastry and bake :).

Mixed Berry Tart

Ingredients:
- 1/2 orange
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- small individual packets of frozen berries
- few drops of vanilla essence
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (I used Palmer's)
- milk for brushing
- sugar for dusting

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Squeeze juice of half an orange into a saucepan and add sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Add frozen berries, vanilla essence and cinnamon; mix and bring to the boil and then let it simmer on medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes until majority of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Cut a 15cm square out of the pastry. Cut 1cm wide 15cm strips of pastry for the border. Arrange the strips around the square (refer to photo right ). Arrange the pastry on a lined baking tray. Add the berries into the centre of the pastry.

4. Wash the outside of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with caster sugar.

5. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and golden.

6. *Optional* Whip fresh cream with vanilla essence and serve on top of the hot pastry. Enjoy :)