Caramel and cream banana tarts

1.Make caramel filling. Combine pouring cream, brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan, stir over medium heat until smooth. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes, stirring, until mixture is thick and caramel in colour. Cool.

2.Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Grease eight 8.5cm (3½-inch) individual brioche pans or loose-based tart pans.

3.Chop cold butter coarsely, combine in processor with flour and icing sugar, process until crumbly. With the motor operating, add egg yolk, vanilla extract and enough of the water to make ingredients cling together. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Enclose in plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes.

4.Divide pastry into eight equal portions. Roll out each portion on floured surface until large enough to line pans. Lift pastry into pans, press over bases and sides, trim excess pastry. Prick bases all over with fork, place pans on oven tray. Bake about 10 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool in pans.

5.Meanwhile, make toffee bananas. Line oven tray with baking paper. Stir sugar and the water in medium saucepan over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, boil, uncovered, without stirring, until pale caramel in colour. Remove from heat, allow bubbles to subside. Peel bananas, slice thinly diagonally. Using a fork, carefully dip each slice of banana into toffee, place on tray. Stand at room temperature until set.

6.Carefully turn tart shells out of pans, place on serving plates. Spoon caramel filling into tart shells, top with cream, then toffee bananas. Serve immediately.