Rainbow mini Bakewell tarts

Instructions

1. Grease six 10 cm (4 inch) flan (tart) tins.
2. For the pastry, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, icing sugar and flour on low speed until the texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla bean paste, egg yolk and salt and mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest for 5 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll them into balls. On a floured work surface, roll each ball out to fit the tart tins.
5. Drape a pastry circle over your rolling pin and lower it into the tin, pressing the pastry into the tin with your fingers. Trim off any excess pastry. Once all the tins are lined with pastry, freeze them for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
7. Remove the tins from the freezer. Cover the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, take out the beans and paper, then bake for a further 3 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature in the tins.
8. For the filling, spread 1 teaspoon of jam in the bottom of each tart. Place the raspberry halves in the bottom of each tart.
9. Blitz the eggs, sugar and almond meal in a food processor until the texture is like a gritty custard. While blitzing, slowly pour the melted butter and almond essence into the food processor and mix to combine.
10. Divide the filling evenly among the tartlets and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool to room temperature in the tins. Remove the tarts from the tins.
11. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with the hot water and almond essence in a small bowl until combined.
12. Remove six 2-teaspoon amounts of the icing and place them in separate small bowls. Add three drops each of a different food colouring to each bowl and mix until each portion is an even colour.
13. Transfer the white icing to a disposable piping bag with one corner cut off, and the coloured icing to separate piping bags with small plain nozzles. Working on one tart at a time, cover the top with white icing.
14. Draw thin lines across the tart with the coloured icings. Using a toothpick, create a feathered effect by moving the toothpick backwards and forwards through the coloured stripes (see photograph). Repeat to ice the other tarts, then leave to set for 1 hour before serving.
15. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.