pumpkin brie and pine nut tart

Butternut pumpkin, brie, rosemary and pinenut tart

by in Food 0

Who loves brie cheese!?  Who loves pastry!?  If your answer is yes, then you need to bake this butternut pumpkin, brie, rosemary and pine nut tart!!  I was looking for a delicious new tart flavour for an Australia Day party, and thought “hey, why not throw all my favourite ingredients on some pastry and see what happens”, and luckily the combination was perfection!!  They were gone in minutes!!

To make things even better, they were super easy to make!

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Ingredients (makes 2 large tarts, or 12 pieces)

  •  2 sheets frozen puff pastry (thawed)
  • 1 egg (for brushing)
  • 1 butternut pumpkin, chopped and thinly sliced
  • Fresh rosemary
  • 1 small wheel of brie cheese, thinly sliced
  • Pine nuts
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  •  Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
  • Place thinly sliced butternut pumpkin on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper – drizzle with olive oil and rosemary and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven.
  • Place each sheet of pastry on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
  • Fold over  1cm edge on each side of the puff pastry to make a border around the edge of each sheet of pastry.  Press the edges down with a fork.
  • Gently prick the pastry all over with a fork
  • Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with egg.
  • Fill the pastry with pastry weights, and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pastry from the oven, and remove the pastry weights.
  • Top each tart with the pumpkin, brie, pine nuts additional rosemary.  Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and pepper.
  • Bake each tart for a further 10 minutes.
  • Allow to cool, and slice each tart into 6 pieces.

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Enjoy!!   Happy Australia Day!!

Three Cheese Savoury Muffins

by in Food 0

savoury muffin 1“Three types of cheese!?” you ask, with trepidation.  Yes, that’s right….three!!!  Cheddar, parmesan and feta…. “You’re out of control Jem…” you say…. that’s right, am out of control crazy about these delicious muffins!!

These babies are delicious….and you can add as many different veggies as you like… I used spinach, zuchini, cherry tomatoes and basil…but you could also add corn kernels, sundried tomatoes, shallots or whatever you like.

I was looking for a savoury muffin that is baby friendly also, and these were a hit with little Dash!!

They’re easy to make, and can be frozen for easy lunches.

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Recipe:

  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, grated
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Feta Cheese, cut into cubes

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 24-hole, 1 1/2 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pan.

  2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add caster sugar. Stir to combine.

  3. Add spinach, basil and parmesan to flour mixture. Stir to combine. Make a well in centre.

  4. Whisk buttermilk, oil and egg together in a jug. Pour into well. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin holes.  Top with small cubes of feta cheese and cherry tomatoes.
  5. Bake for 12 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of 1 comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place in lunchbox.

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