Looks like a tart

Basil, bell pepper and two cheese tartlet

I’m a cheese friend. Sometimes it takes just a tiny piece of emmental or grainy parmesan to calm my craving and sometimes I go all the way with a four cheese pizza.

Out of all cheeses, smooth cream cheese ranks very high on my comfort meter. On a normal day you will find me slathering  spoonfuls on hot baguette  slices. And when mid-night hunger pangs need to be battled, I eat it straight out of the tube.

Today, I used it to make an eggless tartlet. The cream cheese, heavy cream and milk mixture, forms an emulsion that is good enough to bind all the ingredients together without the usage of eggs.

Ingredients for the eggless short crust pastry:

225 grams plain flour

100 grams chilled butter (diced)

2-3 tablespoons of cold water

Pinch of salt

Method:

In a large bowl, sift flour and add chilled butter to it. Combine both these ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Season it with salt and add water to make a firm dough. Refrigirate it for 20 minutes.

Roll out the pastry dough on a dry surface and line the tart tin with it. Prick the base of the tart with a fork and bake it for 15 minutes at 150 degree celsius.

Ingredients for the filling:

2 tablespoon olive oil

100 grams red bell pepper (roasted and chopped)

50 grams carrots (chopped)

¼ cup cream cheese

3 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

3 cloves of garlic

Few slices of mature cheddar cheese

Few basil leaves (hand torn)

Salt and pepper as per taste

Method:

In a pan sauté garlic in olive oil for a few seconds. Add in the roasted bell peppers and carrots and sauté this mixture for three to four minutes. Remove from fire and let it come down to room temperature.

In another pan heat milk and add in the cream cheese and cream. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes.

Fill the tart shells with the sautéed vegetables and top it with basil leaves. Pour the milk and cream mixture on top and even it out.

Cover the tartlets with slices of mature cheddar and bake it further for 30 minutes in the oven. Serve hot.

Have a happy new year, people!