These might very well be the coolest little tarts out there. Not only are they really tasty with their crumbly pastry shell and sweet and lemony condensed milk filling, but they are also just. so. cute! It’s the  two tone icing that does it. They are traditionally iced two-tone in white and brown, white and pink or pink and brown, so you can take your pick of colours when you make them.

And then there’s the name. Neenish. Such a cool word. It appears that the origins of the neenish tart are not really known except that they first appeared in Australia during the first half of the last Century. All I know is that if you whip these out at your next get-together, you are going to be really popular. They are a little fiddly but worth it to see the final result.

Start by processing chilled butter, icing sugar and flour using the dough blade in your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can rub the butter in using your fingertips. Once the mixture resembles bread crumbs, add the egg and mix until combined.

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured bench and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out thinly and cut out fluted rounds. If you don’t have a fluted cutter, a plain round one or even a cup will work fine, so long as it is about 9cm across.

Press the rounds gently into a greased cupcake pans and prick with a fork. Bake in a moderate oven until lightly browned.

Once the shells have cooled the mixture can be made simply by placing the ingredients into a bowl and beating until combined. Some variations of the neenish tart have a little jam in the base below the filling. So if you’d like to try this, add the jam now. Spoon a little filling into the shells until just below the lip of the pastry and then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will set the filling slightly making it possible to carefully add the icing.

Prepare some vanilla icing and carefully spread onto half of the tart. Be careful not to press too firmly into the filling or you will mix the filling and icing together. Chill again until icing hardens.

Add a little cocoa to the remaining icing or prepare some chocolate icing and spread on remaining half of tarts. Chill until icing is set.

Neenish Tarts

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Serves	18
Prep time	1 hour
Cook time	12 minutes
Total time	1 hour, 12 minutes
From book	Laidley Ladies Larder

Neenish Tarts, a traditional Aussie favourite. Crumbly pastry with a sweet and lemony condensed milk filling and two-tone icing.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 60g Butter (Chilled)
• 2 heaped tablespoons Icing Sugar
• 1 1/2 cup Self Raising Flour
• 1 Egg

Filling

• 60g Butter (Softened)
• 90g Icing Sugar
• 4 tablespoons Condensed Milk
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Note

A little jam may be placed in tart before filling if desired.

Directions

Pastry

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place butter, sugar and flour in food processor and process with dough blade until a fine crumb is produced. Add egg and process until mixture comes together. Turn out onto lightly floured bench and knead lightly until mixture is smooth.

Roll out thinly and cut with 9cm fluted circle cutter. Press rounds carefully into greased cupcake pans and prick with fork. Bake in a moderate oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Once pastry shells are cool, place filling ingredients into bowl and beat until well combined and smooth. Fill pastry shells until just below the lip of the pastry and place in refrigerator for about 20 minutes to set slightly.

Prepare vanilla icing using icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and a little milk. Ice half of each tart with vanilla icing and return to fridge until icing is set.

Prepare chocolate icing using icing sugar, 2 teaspoons cocoa and a little milk. Ice remaining half of each tart with chocolate icing and return to fridge until icing is set.