Basil Tomato Tart (or small tarts)

As shared by Mari @ Once Upon a Plate
www.onceuponaplate1.com
Adapted from "Gathering in the Garden" by Shelly Snow and Elaine Husband

Basil Tomato Tart
8 to 10 servings

12 cup flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 pie crust (home made, or frozen, etc.) *see notes below
3 green onions (scallions), chopped ~ both white and green parts
1/3 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup real mayonnaise (not sandwich spread)
2 cups grated Swiss cheese

Optional:
8-10 black olives
8-10 fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350º(F)
Pour flour, salt and pepper into a plastic bag, place sliced tomatoes into bag and shake well to coat evenly. Layer tomatoes on bottom of piecrust. Sprinkle green onions and basil evenly over the tomatoes,  mix the mayonnaise and Swiss cheese together and spread it evenly over the ingredients in the pie crust. Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish each slice with a basil leaf and olive if desired.
Delicious warm or at room temperature.

This can be made into small tarts: Cut pastry into rounds, larger than tartlet pans.  For the tomatoes use either smaller tomatoes (to fit into bottom of tartlet lined pastry, chopped and drained tomatoes, or
cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half.)  Proceed with recipe.

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough (Easy, forgiving, flaky and tender, too)

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate
Yields enough dough for one-10" double-crust pie, or two- 10" single-crust pies, or 10 small pocket pies.

If you have trouble with traditional pastry dough I urge you to try this one, it's hard to mess up, and it can be made in the food processor in minutes. So simple-- the key is to just mix until blended, don't over process  the dough.

This recipe has been around for years; I believe it was originally meant for savory vegetable or meat pastries, but I like to use it for sweet things as well. It's that play of sweet filling and slightly salty crust that piques the flavors of both.  Most recently I used it for an Apple Crostada I made, it was delicious!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter (room temperature), unsalted if you wish - I use salted butter

4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup heavy cream (whipping cream),  no substitutes

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Additional all-purpose flour for rolling out the dough

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt (I use the full 1/2 teaspoon)

Place the butter, cream cheese, and cream in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl, pulse until just combined and dough just comes together in a mass.

Flour a work surface generously, turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into two equal portions. Shape two round discs from each portion and wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer before rolling out. Sometimes I make the dough a day ahead.

If the dough has chilled longer than an hour, take it from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before rolling.  Process just until combined and the dough holds together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out so it becomes easier to work with.

When ready to roll the dough, flour a work surface generously and completely flour a rolling pin. Working with one dough disk at a time, begin rolling from center of dough to outside edge, lift dough turn 1/4 turn making sure the work surface remains well floured so the dough doesn't stick. Continue rolling from center to edge of dough and turning dough 1/4 of a turn each time until dough is desired thickness.

Form pastry as desired for your chosen recipe. This dough looks especially pretty if brushed lightly with an egg wash, or heavy cream before baking. It adds a nice sheen to the finished product, but is an optional step.

If you try it, I hope you enjoy!

Please click HERE to return to Once Upon a Plate.



Parmesan-Pine Nut Crackers

Another recipe from one of my current favorite cookbooks ~





Essentially a shortbread recipe flavored with good Parmesan cheese.

I made mine with aged Parmesano Reggiano which is drier than younger Parmesan.

If you use the younger, moister parmesan your crackers will spread more than mine did.

Either way, the flavor and texture is divine ~ perfect with your favorite beverage or as a good offering on the cheese or fruit platter.

In Peggy's version each cracker is adorned with a single pine nut ~ I made some that way, and some with tiny tips of fresh thyme, others with a pinch of Piment d'Espelette (the spicy red pepper powder from the French Basque country.) Since I changed the recipe, I renamed them:

Crisp, Buttery Parmesan Crackers

Makes about 5 dozen depending upon how you slice the crackers, and how thick the logs are.
(I halve the recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayennne pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
60 pine nuts (1/4 ounce)

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl cream the butter and cayenne together with an electric mixer; add one cup of cheese at a time until all is incorporated and well blended.

Add in the flour mixture and mix well.

Shape the dough into 3 logs, 1 1/2 -inch diameter each. Wrap in plastic cling film and refrigerate until firm.

When ready to bake ~ preheat oven to 400* (F)

Remove one log from refrigerator (keep the others refrigerated until ready to slice and bake), cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick-slices.

Place on ungreased baking sheets, leaving at least 1/2 inch between the slices.

Press a whole pine nut into the center of each slice. Bake until light brown (about 8 minutes.)

These can burn easily so I begin watching them at about 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Delicious freshly baked, or can store in an airtight container.

You can form the cheese dough logs a day or two ahead and simply slice and bake as you want to use them.

If you try them, I hope you like them, too.

Psst... It's a terrific cookbook!

Check it out:

Please CLICK HERE to return to Once Upon a Plate.

Easy Blueberry-Almond Sticky Buns

Easy Blueberry-Almond Sticky Buns
Makes 12, (The recipe is easily halved)

12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds (or pecans, chopped in very large pieces)
1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup dried blueberries (or raisins)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the nuts evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right.

Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, and ½ cup of the blueberries (or raisins). Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Trim the ends of the roll about ½ inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1½ inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (help the filling and nuts out onto the buns with a small silicone spatula, or a spoon) and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from "The Barefoot Contessa"



Click HERE to return to Once Upon a Plate.