I’m always looking for new little appetizer treats to try! My friend had a b’day potluck last weekend and I was in charge of making a side dish and appetizers. I wasn’t sure what sounded good, but I knew I didn’t want to spend all day in the kitchen stressing myself out with fancy and difficult tasks (as I’ve been known to do), so thought of these, hoping they’d be as easy as I was imagining in my head. I have used pastry puff a lot… it’s so easy and one of those things that everyone loves- buttery and flaky and good with fruit & sweets or savories & herbs. Plus, I knew it was going to be mostly boys eating them, so making it cute and healthy wasn’t really a concern. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to put on them, but I remembered a while back I had seen Ina make something similar that had goat cheese and tomatoes, so became inspired to take that route with these. I had fresh thyme, fresh basil, and these amazing little sweet tomatoes on the vine, so knew I couldn’t go wrong with the combo of flavors. I was right- they were easy, quick, and delicious… totally recommend for your next appetizer-need!
INGREDIENTS
2 sheets puff pastry (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 onion, finely sliced
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small), minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
about 4 oz goat cheese, garlic and herb recommended
about 5 medium tomatoes, enough to make one slice for each pastry
about 5 large basil leaves, chopped
parmesan cheese, shredded
olive oil, few tbsp
DIRECTIONS
*Remove pastry sheets from package and lay flat to thaw
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Slice onions and mince garlic and thyme
Saute in a little olive oil (for extra oomph add a teeny butter or ghee too)
until translucent and lightly golden
Remove from heat and set aside
Pastry sheets often have these creases in them already, if not, cute into long strips
(3 strips per sheet = 6 total)
These ones were already the perfect size for mini tarts (2-3 inches)
(I placed wax paper underneath to make them easier to work
with and keep a clean working surface)
Using a jar or glass, cut out circles
I was able to get three from each strip, making 18 circles
Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet
Using a circular object that is lightly smaller than the circles (must have a flat bottom-
I used my salt bowl), press down in the middle
of each to create a small rim around each pastry
This also presses the middle down to create a small crater to hold toppings
Add a small pinch of shredded parmesan in the middle of each circle
Top with a little spoonful of onion mixture
Cut tomatoes into thick-ish slices, about 1/4 inch
You’ll need one for every circle, so I needed 18 slices
Ideally, the slices should be a little smaller than the slices, to cover the center
Top each pastry with a small round of goat cheese
and then top with a tomato slice
Brush tomatoes with a little olive oil
This helps to cook them evenly in the oven
Top with a pinch of fresh basil and top with a little more parmesan
Bake about 20 minutes, until lightly golden and flaky
If needed, reheat just before serving for a couple of minutes
Yumm 🙂
