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| General Category : Appetizers-Snacks-Hors-d'oeuvre |
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| Food Group : Meat-Pork, Eggs, Vegetables, Grains, Cheese/Other Dairy |
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| Preparation Method : Bake |
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| Other Criteria : Entertaining & Holiday |
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All over Switzerland, small or large tarts featuring local cheese are made. This recipe features the delicious and pungent cheese from my familial canton of Appenzell. Appenzeller cheese is a firm Alpine cheese, like Gruyère, whose rind is given regular bathings of Alpine herb-infused marc during the maturing process, giving the cheese a distinct flavour and aroma. It's available in almost any cheese store, but seldom at supermarkets; substitute a mature Gruyère or Freiburger cheese for a Swiss flavour – or use an extra-old Gouda or Cheddar.
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Ingredients
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1 tbsp (15 mL) butter |
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1 onion, finely chopped |
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2 eggs |
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1-1/3 cups (325 mL) 18% cream |
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1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt |
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Pinch each black pepper and nutmeg |
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3/4 cup (175 mL) diced speck, prosciutto or other cured ham (or smoked ham or cooked bacon) |
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2-1/2 cups (625 mL) shredded Appenzeller cheese |
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Tartlet Shells: |
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1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter |
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1 tbsp (15 mL) lard, shortening or butter |
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1-2/3 cups (400 mL) all-purpose flour |
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1 egg yolk |
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1/4 cup (60 mL) ice water |
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Preparation
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Tartlet Shells: In food processor (or in bowl using 2 knives or pastry cutter), pulse butter and lard into flour until texture of coarse crumbs. Add yolk and water; mix just until pastry holds together. Form into 2 balls; press into discs.Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. On lightly floured work surface, roll out each half of dough to 1/8-inch/3 mm thickness. Cut out twelve 3-1/2-inch/9 cm rounds from each half. Fit into 2-1/4-inch/5-1/2 cm greased muffin cups. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat; fry onion until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside. Beat together eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg until combined but not frothy.
Spoon onion into tartlet shells; top with speck. Fill loosely with cheese, mounding on top. Pour in egg mixture to top of pastry. Bake in bottom third of 400°F/200°C oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve warm. (Make-ahead: Remove from pan after 10 minutes; let cool on rack. Refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat on baking sheet in 400°F/200°C oven until hot, about 4 minutes.)
Makes 24 tartlets.
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Nutritional information
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Per tartlet: about 168 cal, 6 g pro, 12 g total fat (7 g sat. fat), 8 g carb, 0 g fibre, 60 mg chol, 135 mg sodium. % RDI: 13% calcium, 4% iron, 10% vit A, 10% folate.
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Source
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Homemakers Magazine: Dec./Jan. 2007
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