Appetizers are great when guest are coming over. It gives guests something to eat and me more time to take care of any last minute cooking, I need to do. I especially like appetizers, when they can be eaten in a single bite, leaving no crumbs and reducing the need for extra dishes and utensils. Normally, I make Gougres with different herbs or spices. But for my last dinner party, I wanted to make something different. Lucky for me, I have some mini muffin pans and with the picture of mini quiches in my mind, I decided to make tarts.
These came out fantastic. The strong, salty taste of bacon really went well with the creamy taste of mayonnaise. The crust was also very easy to work with, which is another plus.
Mini Bacon and Basil Tarts
Ingredients for Crust:
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tablespoon of dried basil
4 tablespoons of cool butter, cut into small slices
1/8 cup of cold water
Ingredients for Filling:
1/4 cup of tomato, chopped
1/2 cup of light mayonnaise
1/2 cup of provolone, diced small
salt and pepper to taste
1 slice of bacon, cooked and crumbled
basil leaves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Combine all ingredients for crust, adding just enough water, to form a ball of dough
- Find a round glass or cookie/biscuit cutter that is slightly bigger than the rim of the mini muffin cups.
- Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out circles (re-rolling when necessary)
- Press circles into the muffin tin
- Combine mayonnaise, provolone, salt and pepper.
- Place a few pieces of chopped tomato into each crust
- Add a dollop of mayonnaise mixture over tomato
- Decorate with bacon and basil leaves
- Bake tarts for 13-15 minutes
Samina Cooks 