Author Notes: You will absolutely love these tiny little tartlets of tender Brie puff pastry you can buzz up in your Cuisinart! They are fabulous to serve with Champagne as an Amuse Bouche, for a special dinner, or as a passed hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party, anytime. What makes them even better is that the pastry can be made (and frozen) as much as a month in advance, and the tiny tarts completely assembled (except for brushing with the rosemary oil and baking) and kept stacked in your refrigerator the day of your party to be baked as needed. I can’t take the credit … These were created by my dear friend and mentor, Judith Dunbar Hines when we worked together at The Chicago Caterers (but I must have made them at least a thousand times since then. —ChefJune
Makes: 6 cocktail servings
Ingredients
Brie Puff Pastry
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1
cup unsalted butter, COLD (cut into 8 pieces)
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2
cups organic unbleached flour
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4
ounces imported Brie cheese, at room temperature
Making the Tarts
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1
recipe Brie Puff Pastry
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1
cup extra virgin olive oil
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1-2
branches fresh rosemary
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1
log mild goat cheese
Directions
Brie Puff Pastry
- In the food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour and butter with short pulses until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.
- 2. Cut the Brie into several small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse until just before mixture forms a ball. Form mixture into a disc and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
- Teacher’s Tip: This pastry is so versatile and durable you may wish to make it in “commercial amounts” and keep it on hand in your freezer. Here are the proportions: 1 pound unsalted butter, 1 pound (4 cups) unbleached flour; 1/2 pound Brie.
Making the Tarts
- Remove the rosemary leaves from their stems and chop them coarsely with a large chef’s knife. Put into a glass jar with the olive oil. You may do this several days (weeks) ahead.
- When you are ready to assemble the tarts, pull small pieces of the dough (about the size of a gumball) from the disc, and roll into a ball in your palms. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Press them down with your thumb. Put a little piece of goat cheese in the thumbprint. Chill the trays VERY WELL.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove baking sheets from refrigerator only as needed. Brush each tart with the room-temperature rosemary oil. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove to a tray and serve immediately.
- Teacher’s Tip: Garnish the serving tray with a fresh rosemary sprig.