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!
Lovely tart and cute post title. Happy New Year to you too. I know I’ve asked you this before, but are you a chef? You sure sound (and look) like it.
I love cheese too but alas my stomach does not. That does not stop me from eating it though. I made a Quiche Lorraine on Christmas morning with Gruyere. Yum. I made a pumpkin cheesecake with cream cheese a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, bell peppers also hurt my stomach so I don;t think I could eat this double whammy but it sure is boo-tee-ful! 🙂
Hey! Thank you for your nice words. I’m not a professional chef. I just cook at home and really enjoy every bit of it. Maybe that confused you 😀 Oh and Gruyere is one my favourites too.
I should have asked are you a professional chef. You are CLEARLY a chef! Happy New Year Friend! Also, thanks for being my #4 top commenter on my blog in 2011. I appreciate your support.
Good stuff, Sonal 🙂
Thanks, Manali 😀
Sounds yummy! . . . I will take some time and look around!
Thanks, Erica!
Looks delicious! I’m always looking for new savoury things to try. Dinner is a favorite meal of mine.
Aww! You must try these 😀
I have never had tartle before:) It sounds and looks really good:O) 🙂 Have to replace the bell pepper with something els:) But I’m def .going to give it a try:) 🙂
Tartlet is a smaller tart 😀 You could try sun dried tomatoes.
And I hope you have a Happy New Year:) 🙂
Same to you!
Wow, this looks delicious, Sonu. I’m definitely going to make this one. 🙂
You should, Sandra! It’s amazingly amazing!
This tart looks fantastic! Thanks for the recipe.
Hey thank you for dropping by 😀
Cream cheese out of a tube? I don’t think I have seen that! Love cream cheese also! beautiful tart you have there!
I’m a cheese fiend, so this recipe left me drooling just a bit… I love tarts, and this one sounds delicious with the use of all of the vegetables and especially basil. It’s also so versatile, and you could fill it with whatever you want, which I plan on doing in the near future!
Thank you, Brittany 😀 I appreciate your comment. Happy new year to you!
Fab flavour combinations there! And happy new year!
Thank you 😀 Your comments are too sweet. Happy new year to you too.
I love the cheese “lattice” on top. Very creative.
Finally, someone noticed my little art work 😀 Thank you and a happy new year!
Oh this tartlet looks scrumptious and absolutely amazing. You’ve outdone yourself. I wish you and your family a happy new year!
Thank you for your kind words! Lot’s more coming up 😀
OMG! This looks super delish but super fatty too! cheese, some more cheese and then some more cream! o.0
This coming from ‘extra butter’ girl is not acceptable! We only eat, counting calories is for losers! 😀 Thank you for dropping by!
The tartlet looks heavenly. Thanks for stopping by and visiting my site.
Hey! Thank you for dropping by too 😀
Oh wow, that’s one amazing looking tart! You weren’t joking about your thing for cheese were you? I actually read once that, like chocolate, cheese actually releases endorphins in the brain when eaten. So you can actually be addicted to it – not a bad thing to be addicted to if you can make things like this though.
Clever muffin always have something clever to say 😀 Thank you for dropping by and yes, I’m a cheese addict!
You and cream cheese? Me and brie. One of my favorite meals was a baguette with a thick layer of brie, and a few tomato slices layered down the length of the bread. This tart seems *incredibly* rich and tasty.
I’m crazzyyyyy about brie! One of my favourite brie dish is melted brie with onion jam. Thank you for your comment.
Yum, this sounds delicious! I love tarts, especially cold with a side of salad–> perfect, refreshing lunch!
Hey! This tastes as delicious as it sounds. I promise 😀
This looks outstanding. I have been wanting to try a savory tart for the longest time. I need to get on that and I love this one! 🙂
Thank you, Kristy. I hope this one does it for you 😀
This looks amazing!!!! Happy new year and cheers!
Thank you 😀
That’s interesting I would have never thought to make a tart without egg. I will have to give this a go when I have ripe capsicums (bell peppers).
Liz! Nice to see you around. Tell me how your tart turns out 😀 Thank you for dropping by.
Love it when you get tarted up!
What can I say, that’s how I roll 😉
What a great cheesy tart. I would love this for a Friday night dinner in front of a movie. Happy New Year!
Happy new year to you too!
gorgeous! This looks mouth-watering and it’s only 9.50am!!! I love cheese, I am sure Charlie would appreciate these tartlets; he is a big cheese fan! I will try to make it this weekend and let you know how I got on with it 😀 Thanks! 🙂
Of course! Come back soon 😀
Happy New Year by the way!! 😀
Same to you, girl!
Looks delicious!!! Good work man! What better about you being a chef, is that your a friend and I expect these to be made the next time we meet 😉
Don’t they look just yum?! I love these tarts. Make plans!
Ah your recipes never disappoint!! Thanks for dropping by and happy new year!
Thank you. Your comment means a lot!
This tartlet looks so beautiful and delicious. I would totally make this to serve at a party its so colorful and healthy and deliciously cheesy:)
It tastes delish! I hope it works out for you 😀
Umm, I love cheese but you know cheese is made with rennet right? So it’s not veggie at all.
Hey. Thank you for your comment. I am aware that cheese contains rennet but both the cheeses used here are rennet-free.
I have, till now baked just one savory tart, that too without APF…this one looks promising…bookmarking it in my ‘next-to-bake’ folder 😉
You have cool place to hang around..and I loved the name of the blog…very unique 🙂
Thank you, Alka. I’m glad you liked it.
wow im a sucker for cheese and this looks insanely good! im going to def try it
Thank you, Madam Spice. Nice blog name!
This sounds really good!
Thank you, Debbe.