Savory Blue Cheese Tart
Ingredients:
- Filling
- 14 ounce Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 4 ounce Blue Cheese, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce
- 6 ounce Bacon, cooked and chopped
- OPTIONAL
- 1/2 Onion, roasted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Crust
- 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 5 ounce Cold Butter, small cubes
- 4-5 tablespoon Cold Water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine flour with salt.
Cut butter in with two forks or pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal.
Add 4-5 tablespoons of ice cold water and loosely bring together.
Turn onto floured surface and roll into 1/4" round shape. Line pastry into 10" tart pan (with removable bottom) and press into corners.
Trim top.
Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans (may use any dried legume, popcorn rice or grain).
Bake 25 minutes until crust is golden brown--be patient, it will look done. (This is called blind baking and ensures a nicely done crust, but most often, it is under baked in this step. Stay the course!)
Remove baking beans and parchment.
Cool. It is now ready to freeze or finish.
Pre-roast and chop onions.
This may be prepared a day ahead, along with pre-cooking the bacon.
Using paddle attachment, mix cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth and free of lumps.
Add cream, herbs, Tabasco, bacon, onions salt and pepper.
Add eggs and combine well.
Add blue cheese crumbles and stir without mashing completely.
Fill tart shells to just below top of crust line.
Place in preheated oven.
Bake approximately 30 minutes until center raises slightly and light color begins.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Cut butter in with two forks or pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal.
Add 4-5 tablespoons of ice cold water and loosely bring together.
Turn onto floured surface and roll into 1/4" round shape. Line pastry into 10" tart pan (with removable bottom) and press into corners.
Trim top.
Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans (may use any dried legume, popcorn rice or grain).
Bake 25 minutes until crust is golden brown--be patient, it will look done. (This is called blind baking and ensures a nicely done crust, but most often, it is under baked in this step. Stay the course!)
Remove baking beans and parchment.
Cool. It is now ready to freeze or finish.
Filling Preheat oven to 275 F.
Pre-roast and chop onions.
This may be prepared a day ahead, along with pre-cooking the bacon.
Using paddle attachment, mix cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth and free of lumps.
Add cream, herbs, Tabasco, bacon, onions salt and pepper.
Add eggs and combine well.
Add blue cheese crumbles and stir without mashing completely.
Fill tart shells to just below top of crust line.
Place in preheated oven.
Bake approximately 30 minutes until center raises slightly and light color begins.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature before serving.
