Tomato Basil Tartlets
This is a new favorite appetizer that I like to bring to parties. It is a puff pastry bite, topped with a kalamata olive tapenade, fontina cheese, juicy cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.
This is a new favorite appetizer that I like to bring to parties. It is a puff pastry bite, topped with a kalamata olive tapenade, fontina cheese, juicy cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.
- 1 stick butter
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 1/2 heads of garlic
- 1 1/2 heads of garlic
- 1 1/2 heads of garlic
- 1 1/2 heads of garlic
- 1 1/2 heads garlic halved.
- 1 (10 by 9-inch) sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 can old bay seasoning 6 oz
- 1 can old bay seasoning 6 oz
- 1 can old bay seasoning 6 oz
- 1 can old bay seasoning 6 oz
- 1 can old bay seasoning 6 oz
- 1/3 cup olive tapenade
- 5 tablespoons salt
- 5 tablespoons salt
- 5 tablespoons salt
- 5 tablespoons salt
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 1/2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- 6 basil leaves chopped
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- 2 lbs easy peal shrimp (large) i use frozen deveined sh
- 2 lbs easy peal shrimp (large) i use frozen deveined sh
- 2 lbs easy peal shrimp (large) i use frozen deveined sh
- 2 lbs easy peal shrimp (large) i use frozen deveined sh
- 2 count shrimp i buy frozen deveined but not peeled shrimp
- fleur de sel or other large flake sea salt
- 2 lbs hilshire farm beef smoked sausage (plain or hot)
- 2 lbs hilshire farm beef sausage
- 2 lbs hilshire farm beef sausage
- 2 lbs hilshire farm beef sausage
- 2 lbs hilshire farm beef sausage
- 2 can find usually 20 or so in 2 lbs)
- 2 can find usually 20 or so in 2 lbs)
- 2 can find usually 20 or so in 2 lbs)
- 2 can find. usually 20 or so in two pounds.
- 2 can find usually 20 or so in 2 lbs)
- 12 pack of frozen corn
- 12 pack of frozen corn
- 2 lbs snow crab legs or your favorite crab legs.
- 12 pack of frozen corn
- 12 pack of frozen corn
- 12 pack of frozen corn.
- Carbohydrate 22.7381166675433 g
- Cholesterol 202.458333333333 mg
- Fat 76.9190166667108 g
- Fiber 4.54016679302931 g
- Protein 4.50236666681477 g
- Saturated Fat 48.4878166666799 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1915g)
- Sodium 2976.53753824068 mg
- Sugar 18.1979498745139 g
- Trans Fat 5.49732166666857 g
- Calories 775 calories
Step-by-step
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. Using a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds of pastry. Place the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry rounds. Place another baking sheet directly on top of the parchment paper to keep the pastry even while baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove the top baking sheet and the top piece of parchment paper.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of tapenade on each pastry round. Place about 1 tablespoon of cheese on top. Arrange 2 pieces of tomato on the cheese. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped basil on top.
- Transfer the tartlets to a platter and garnish with a pinch of fleur de sel.
Puff pastry does the structural heavy lifting in these flaky appetizers, requiring exact thermal manipulation to achieve proper lamination and height without weeping grease onto the pan.
- Dock the thawed dough thoroughly with the tines of a fork across the entire surface to restrict excessive vertical ballooning during the initial bake.
- Weight the pastry rounds with a secondary baking sheet resting on parchment paper during the first 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure flat, even disks that hold toppings securely.
- Monitor the second oven phase closely for 5 to 7 minutes until the fontina cheese liquifies completely and bubbles around the edges of the quartered cherry tomatoes.
- Apply the fresh basil and finishing flake salt strictly after the second heat exposure to preserve volatile aromatic oils and prevent bitter oxidation.
Crowding the baking sheet releases moisture that compromises the crispness of the butter layers. Maintaining adequate spacing prevents uneven heat circulation.
