I have a recipe from the 50's called Olive Tarts. It uses a cheddar cheese pastry similar to a pie crust (Cheese, butter, flour, salt, & cayenne) that is wrapped around a stuffed olive and baked. I want to make something more elegant, flakier - little tarts with the olives on top. Should I use my blitz puff pastry recipe and add cheddar to it? If I do, when should I add the cheese? And, although I usually serve these hot, I am also looking for suggestions for similar pastries that are good room temp. Thanks.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, December 12, 1999 - 01:39 pm: Edit

Hey, I maded those years ago, didn't think anyone else made them any more. I probably wouldn't go with puff pastry I think it will over take the olive. I like the idea of a cheese tartlet with a olive filling alot.!

Try Bernard Claytons' "The Complete Book Of Pastry Sweet & Savory" as a source. I also think I remember Julia Child having several savory items along this line. "The Joy Of Cooking" or "Betty Crocker" are also places to look.

Other items: veggie pizza from Pillsbury (simple, well liked), bluecheese/creamcheese spread on flattened bread asparagus center, rolled then toasted. There's too many to list, I'd hit the books.

Good Luck

By Panini (Panini) on Sunday, December 12, 1999 - 02:28 pm: Edit

Mixing cheddar into puff has not worked for me. to much fat.
I have made mini tarteletes with the same proceedure as cheese straws. roll out just as straws but cut circles, put in mini muffin pans an bake.They need to be weighted, i throw another pan on top. you can make as spicy as you like.
Just an idea.
Ciao.
Panini

By Claudia (Claudia) on Monday, December 13, 1999 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Thanks for the tip, Panini. I will stick to the original dough, but will make it in a tart shape. W. - I find these little nuggets fly off the trays (except for their annoying habit of rolling off) - people love them. It has always bothered me that they are called tarts but don't look like them! My clientele has gotten ritzier so I want to create a better looking product.

By Claudia (Claudia) on Monday, January 10, 2000 - 09:07 am: Edit

Follow-up: I added a bit more flour to the original recipe to cut down on the fat and pressed the dough into mini-muffin tins. Then I spread a 1/2 tes of sundried tomato & garlic concentrate, topped with a whole olive and baked them. They were a big hit and much prettier than the round ones, which tend to burst open. Thanks again for the advice!

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, January 10, 2000 - 10:16 pm: Edit

what type of olive are you using. I'm having a grand opening in April and these sound very good.
Can you make them ahead of time?
panini

By Claudia (Claudia) on Tuesday, January 11, 2000 - 09:54 am: Edit

I use queen sized pimento stuffed manzanilla olives. You can make them ahead 2 ways - either freeze them raw (this uses up all your pans!) or bake them to slightly underdone and then freeze them. At serving time, pop them, either frozen or thawed, into a 350 oven to reheat. You could also use a black tapenade underneath instead of the sun-dried tomato concentrate. The green olive against the pale orange dough is very pretty and they are tasty.

cj

By Panini (Panini) on Tuesday, January 11, 2000 - 11:19 pm: Edit

Thank you!!
panini