Mini Tea Party

Mini tarts, mini sandwiches, a mini guest list…you would think that would mean mini work, right? WRONG!

It started off so innocently. When I saw that Foodbuzz, partnered with Electrolux and Kelly Confidential, wanted Featured Publishers to host tea parties to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, I was thrilled. I definitely wanted to be a part of this! Such a fantastic way to raise money for this important research, with Foodbuzz donating $50 to the fund for every recipe created. Additionally, Foodbuzz will be doing a Top 9 Takeover on Friday, March 25, in honor of the cause, and every Top 9 post will be tea party related.

So I planned my menu, got out my china, and starting tinkering around with some recipe ideas. Since my tea was for two, I didn’t need lots of food or huge portions. Mini would be the theme. Thankfully, the food came out wonderfully, and even more importantly, I learned that these recipes still taste pretty good at room temperature.

Turns out, taking photographs of food on china is a whole different ball game than our usual picture-taking. All the settings we normally use weren’t working. The white china was yellow in the photos. The focus was off; the lighting was horrible; the food looked awful. This tea party had taken a turn. I was teetering on the edge of sanity. At that point, I was glad I hadn’t invited other guests since this was quickly becoming a Mad Tea Party. Andy had to talk me down several times when I was ready to throw in the towel. But after several hours (I am not exaggerating here) we finally got some decent photos. And then finally got to eat!

Apple Gorgonzola Tarts

Makes 2 mini tarts

1 sheet refrigerated pie crust

1 apple, peeled and very thinly sliced (I used Pink Lady; you won’t use the whole apple)

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 chopped pistachio nuts

4 teaspoons honey

Roll the pie dough out slightly to about a 12 inch circle. Lay the pie dough into the tart pans. Press buttered foil into the shells and fill with beans. Blind bake the shells for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Carefully remove the foil, prick the bottom of the shells lightly with a fork, and bake for about 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and reserve.

In a bowl, mix together the gorgonzola, cream, egg and pepper. Pour the mixture into the tart shells. Layer the top of the filling with apple slices, covering the entire tart. Drizzle a teaspoon of honey on each tart on top of the apples, then sprinkle with pistachios. Drizzle another teaspoon of honey over the pistachios.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes, until the middle is set and the edges are starting to brown.

Notes:

These can be served warm or at room temperature.

Next time I might try a layer of apples on the bottom of each tart as well. If using another layer of apples, you may have extra filling.

Red Pepper Tarts

Makes 2 mini tarts

1 sheet refrigerated pie crust

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped shallot

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup dry jack cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

For the crust, use the same directions as shown above in the Apple Gorgonzola Tart recipe.

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the bell pepper, shallots, garlic and olive oil. Start on medium heat to soften the mixture, then turn all the way down to low. Cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring only occasionally. When the bell pepper is caramelized slightly, remove from heat and reserve.

In a bowl, mix together the dry jack cheese, cream, egg, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooled bell pepper mixture. Pour filling into tart shells. (You may have a little extra filing.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes until the middle is set and the edges are starting to brown.

Notes:

These can be served warm or at room temperature.

I got the dry jack cheese at Cowgirl Creamery, and if you have access, I highly recommend getting it. If you can’t find dry jack, you could substitute with another hard cheese such as parmesan or romano. If using a salty cheese, omit the salt from the recipe.

These mini tarts are adorable and quite tasty. The caramelized red peppers combined with dry jack cheese offers a rich and savory bite, while the apple and gorgonzola tart is pungent, but with a slightly sweet taste. Both are good for different reasons.

After all was said and done, with the camera out of sight and our tummies full and happy, I was so glad to have participated in this event. For food bloggers to just be able to do what they normally do to help raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is phenomenal.

If you would like to help the cause, visit the Kelly Confidential website and pick a tea party outfit. Electrolux is donating $1 for every outfit selected.