You are going to love this recipe I am sharing today. Not only is it a really easy recipe to execute, but its delicious and uses simple ingredients and methods. There is nothing complicated about this in the least. Muffin Tin Tomato Tarts make great appetisers, as well as side dishes and are fantastic on a buffet table! They are also great for Tail Gates and Game Nights!
No special equipment is needed. Just a medium Muffin tin . . . something which most people have in their homes.
One thing that I really love to make during Tomato Season is a Tomato Pie.
Its a pie that everyone loves, including us, and that is because it is easy to make, uses simple ingredients and tastes really good!
These simple tarts are a RIF on that pie, except they are a whole lot simpler to make and are mini sized, each one being just the perfect size for one person!
You begin with a sheet of all butter puff pastry. You can use the ready roll, the frozen, or if you are really keen you can make it from scratch. The only requirement is that it be all butter and sized 9 inch by 12 inches.
The sheet of pastry then gets spread with some mayonnaise. I like Hellman's myself, but that is what I consider to be the best of what is available to me. You need to use whatever is the best of what you can find easily in your local shops.
Once you spread the mayonnaise over the pastry you sprinkle it with a bit of dried basil flakes and a smattering of freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. I like a lot of black pepper, but you use whatever you are comfortable with.
The pastry then gets cut into 3 inch squares. You will get exactly 12 from a 9 by 12 inch sheet of puff pastry. Push each square down into the holes of a well buttered medium muffin tin.
I like to use a four cheese blend in these. My blend is a mix of Mozzarella, Cheddar, Gouda and Jack. You can use whatever blend you prefer, bearing in mind you want something stretchy combined with something well flavoured. Half the cheese gets sprinkled in the tarts, and then you top that with halved cherry tomatoes. I use a mix of yellow and red, for color.
You sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and some chopped cooked bacon and then you bake them in a hot oven. Its as simple as that. Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
They are great first courses, appetisers, and they also make a great light lunch when served with a salad on the side!
Yield: 12Author: Marie Rayner
Tomato Tarts
prep time: 15 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 35 minsThis quick and easy recipe makes a beautiful side dish or appetizer. Great for game nights and buffets also.ingredients:
1 (9 by 12 inch) sheet of all butter puff pastry4 TBS good quality mayonnaise (I like Hellman's)freshly ground sea salt and black pepper1/2 tsp dried basil flakes12 red cherry tomatoes12 yellow cherry tomatoes(Can use all of one color if desires, but using bothcolours makes for a pretty finish)180g grated 4 cheese blend ( 1 1/2 cup)(You may not need all the cheese2 slices streaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (optional)fresh basil to garnish (optional)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup medium muffin tin really well. Set aside.
Take
your pastry and spread it with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle evenly with
sea salt to taste and a good grinding of black pepper. Sprinkle the
basil flakes evenly over all. Cut into 3 inch squares with a sharp
knife. You should get exactly 12. Push these squares into the prepared
muffin tin holes. Divide half of the cheese between the pastry lined
cups. Place 1 of each color of cherry tomato (halved) into each cup.
(4 halves altogether). Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the bacon
bits if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Garnish with torn fresh basil if desired and serve.Created using The Recipes Generator
All butter ready made puff pastry is one of my must have kitchen store cupboard ingredients. I keep several packages of it in the freezer at all times. It always comes in handy and never gets wasted! You are never far from something tasty so long as you have some around. Great for tarts, and danishes, etc. Anyways, I hope you will give these a go. I just know you will like them as much as we do! Bon Appetit!
