Do Apple Cheddar Tarts not scream fall? Fresh, seasonal apples and old cheddar, sage and thyme remind me of Thanksgiving and apple pie.
Having said that, these tarts are savoury so think mini quiche. Serve them as an appetizer, add them to a charcuterie tray or a buffet table. How about a fall picnic too?
These are a cinch to make if you use frozen tart shells. You could also use puff pastry rolled out and cut into 5" (13 cm) rounds for standard tart sizes or 3" (7.5 cm) rounds for mini tartlets. Check your tart pan and test out what size pastry you need to cut.
You will get about 12 + standard size tarts and up to 30 mini tarts. When I made my own pastry for one batch, I had some pastry scraps left over and quite a bit of filling so I popped the leftovers into a ramekin and made a 'mini-quiche' as well!
The whipping cream makes this filling silky smooth. If you have ever had a scrambled eggs made by a French chef you can picture how soft and fluffy they are. The secret - cream!
These tarts were a hit all around when I served them. To me the fresh thyme and sage kind of scream Thanksgiving or Fall.
Wine Pairing with Apple Cheddar Tarts
Eggs can be hard to pair but the cheddar and creamy savouriness over-rides the egg here.
A Sparkling wine with pastry, bread-y and orchard apple notes would be sublime with these.
But you really can't go wrong with any white here - from light and crisp Pinot Grigio to a Chardonnay - lightly oaked or unoaked, to a round Soave or Chenin Blanc.
On the red side - medium body Rhone blend, Beaujolais, Valpolicella would all work.
Ingredients
- 12 frozen tart shells 2 ½ " (6.5cm) or double crust pie dough See Note 1
- 1 tart apple I used Granny Smith, peeled, cored and finely diced
- 4 oz (100 grams) old white cheddar grated
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon fresh sage finely chopped
- ½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° (Gas Mark 4).
- Roll out pastry if using pie dough. Cut 12 rounds to fit your tart pan.
- Combine apples, cheddar and thyme in a bowl. Whisk egg and cream together. Add salt and pepper. Stir egg mixture into apple mixture.
- Distribute filling evenly among tart shells. Bake 30 minutes until mixture is set and pastry is golden brown. See Note 3 for mini tarts.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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