TOASTY TARTS

Makes 12

YOU WILL NEED: • Chopping board • knife • frying pan • spatula • large strainer • large spoon • rolling pin • 12 cup muffin pan • mixing bowl • measuring cup • whisk • metal skewer • Oven heated to 190° C.

1 loaf sliced bread
1 baby leek or 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
100 grams English spinach, finely chopped
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
50 grams finely grated cheese
Butter or olive oil for frying, and for greasing the muffin pan

Directions

Heat 2 teaspoons of butter or oil in the frying pan over a low - medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook gently for 2 or 3 minutes until they are semi-transparent. Remove the onions with the spatula and drain them on a paper towel.

Add the spinach to the frying pan and cook gently until it is soft. Turn off the heat. Put the spinach into a strainer and press out any liquid with the back of a large spoon.

Grease the bottoms and sides of all the cups in the muffin pan. Carefully cut all the crusts from 12 slices of bread. Roll each slice of bread with the rolling pin until each slice is a very flat square.

Press a slice of bread into each cup in the muffin pan, pressing the slices and any creases against the bottom and sides of the cup. The bread slices will be the pastry part of your tarts. Place some leek or onion on the bottom of each tart.

Break the eggs into the mixing bowl. Add the milk and the cream. Whisk this mixture until smooth. Then whisk in the drained spinach. Carefully pour some of the mixture into each tart, until it is 3/4 full. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each of the tarts, and then bake them in the middle of the oven until a skewer poked into the middle of a tart comes out clean, and the top of the tart is golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Allow tarts to cool slightly before lifting them out of the muffin pan.