Heirloom Tomato Tart

Here’s an absolutely delicious and super easy tart featuring stunning heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. A quick word of advice, the frozen puff pastry needs to thaw in the fridge overnight so plan ahead.

Start with delicious of heirloom tomatoes. Choose a variety of differing colors and sizes.

You’ll also need a savory cream cheese spread (or Boursin cheese) and a package of frozen puff pastry that’s been allowed to thaw in the refrigerator overnight (don’t be temped to skip this step).

Unfold the thawed pastry and press the folds flat. Use a pastry docker (or fork) to poke holes over the pastry.

You’ll be able to fit 1 and 2/3 sheets of puff pastry dough on one half sheet pan (reserve the remaining 1/3 sheet of puff pastry for another use). Place the 2 pieces of pastry together and use a little water and your fingers to press the seam together to make one large sheet of puff pastry. Pop in the fridge to chill while you prepare your tomatoes.

Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices using a serrated knife (or tomato knife); set aside. Don’t worry if the juice and seeds fall out of the cut tomatoes.

Stir the savory cream cheese (or Boursin) to soften. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly all over the chilled pastry, leaving a thin border around the edges.

Arrange the sliced tomatoes artfully over the cream cheese layer. It’s ok to overlap slightly, but not too much. I like to place the largest slices on first, then fill in with the smaller ones. DO NOT salt the tomatoes yet (we’ll do that after baking). Brush the tomatoes with garlic oil (or extra virgin olive oil) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown around the edges.

Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours). Brush the entire tart, including the pastry, with a little more garlic oil.

Just before serving, sprinkle tomatoes with fleur de sel (or flaked sea salt), freshly ground black pepper, and fresh basil leaves. Cut with a sharp knife and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• frozen puff pastry https://amzn.to/3HHzIwg

• Boursin https://amzn.to/3Lr64xp

• garlic oil https://amzn.to/3oGrqgp

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3JkoiyI

• parchment sheets https://amzn.to/3gE2HFh

• tomato knife https://amzn.to/2XYZdSx

• offset spatula https://amzn.to/3sxrkcd

• dough docker https://amzn.to/3LnNm9X

• pastry brush https://amzn.to/3Jo67Zd

• fleur de sel (French sea salt) https://amzn.to/2Le4iEP

• my favorite oil sprayer https://amzn.to/3LswsHa

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Heiroom Tomato Tart

makes 12 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

• 8 ounces onion and chive cream cheese spread (or Boursin), room temperature

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes in a variety of colors and sizes (the more, the better)

• garlic infused olive oil (or extra virgin olive oil), for drizzling

• fleur de sel (French sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 10-20 fresh basil leaves (depending on their size)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F, place rack in center position, and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Unfold the first puff pastry sheet onto the parchment paper and gently press with a rolling pin to flatten fold lines (keep in mind, the sheet pan will hold 1 and 2/3 sheets of puff pastry side-by-side).

3. Repeat with the 2nd puff pastry sheet (trim away 1/3 of the 2nd pastry sheet and reserve for another use); place both pastry sheets as close together as possible without overlapping and use water to gently glue and press the two pieces to gather to form one large pastry sheet.

4. Use a fork or dough docker to poke holes over the surface of the puff pastry; place sheet pan in fridge to allow the pastry to chill while you prepare the tomatoes.

5. Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices (a variety of colors and diameters look very nice on the tart (don’t worry if the seeds and jelly fall out of the slices).

6. Remove puff pastry from refrigerator; stir the onion and chive cream cheese to soften and use an offset spatula to spread an even layer all over the prepared puff pastry, leaving a thin border around the edges.

7. Artfully arrange the tomatoes slices on the tart - slight overlapping is okay, but try to keep a single layer for the most part (I like to start with the largest slices, then fill in with smaller ones).

8. Brush or spray tomato slices with oil just before placing the tart in the hot oven; bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry edges puff nicely and turn golden brown.

9. Remove tart from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours).

10. Just before serving, brush entire tart with a little more oil (tomatoes and pastry), sprinkle tomatoes with fleur de sel (French sea salt), freshly ground black pepper, and top with fresh basil leaves (don't add basil while tart is warm, it will wilt and discolor).

11. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.

Cream Puffs

Cream puffs (aka profiteroles) are the perfect crowd-pleasing treat because absolutely everybody loves them. The pastry shells can be baked and frozen up to a month ahead of time, and the filling can be made and refrigerated a day or two ahead. When you’re ready to serve them, just whip up a batch of whipped cream, fold it into the pastry cream, and spoon or pipe it into the empty pastry shells. Finish with a quick sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar and get ready to be the hit of the party.

We'll start by making the pastry which is technically called pate a choux (sounds like pot-ah-shoo).

In a 4-quart nonstick saucepan, heat water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar until it boils.

While you're waiting for the mixture to boil, have the flour and eggs ready to go.

Okay, the milk mixture is just starting to boil - time to add the flour.

Add all the flour at once...

And stir vigorously until all the liquid is absorbed.

When all the liquid is absorbed, continue stirring constantly...

Until a smooth paste forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.  We're not quite there yet, but almost.

Just a few more moments and we're done.  Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Using a flat paddle (one with silicone fins works particularly well), add the eggs, mixing one at a time, until no traces of raw egg remains. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can stir the eggs in by hand - it’ll take some time, but you can do it.

Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (here).  I like to use disposable bags (like these).  Using a star tip helps the pastry dough expand evenly in the oven.

I piped long skinny shapes for eclairs as well as round mounds for cream puffs, but didn’t get photos of the cream puff mounds - oops. You’ll figure it out though.

When the mounds are done baking, allow them to cool slightly, turn each puff upside down, poke a hole in the bottom with a paring knife or skewer, and allow excess steam to escape. Allow them to cool completely before cutting the pastry shells in half and proceeding with the recipe.

Note: if you plan to freeze the puffs for use later, flash freeze the cooled, uncut pastry shells for about an hour, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container for up to a month. Thaw overnight, in the refrigerator, inside the airtight container.

To assemble, cut the pastry shell puffs in half with a serrated knife and fill with a mixture made of 50% pastry cream and 50% sweetened whipped cream. You can spoon the mixture in, or you can use a pastry bag fitted with a pasty tip as shown.

Once filled, sprinkle with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Items I used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• All-Clad nonstick 4-quart saucepan https://amzn.to/46pID22

• BeaterBlade https://amzn.to/3Xym1bO

• disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/3JxwldZ

• large star tip https://amzn.to/3HJk3MI

• silicone half sheet pan liner https://amzn.to/3NRPWZ7

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3XtXFj4

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Cream Puffs

makes about 20

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Pastry Shells:

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 5 large eggs

• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Filling (equal parts of each):

• pastry cream (recipe here)

• whipped cream (recipe here)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F and place rack in center position.

2. In a 4-quart nonstick saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar until it boils.

3. Immediately add the flour and stir vigorously until all the liquid is absorbed by the flour and a paste forms; continue stirring constantly until the paste dries out and forms a ball that cleans the sides of the pan.

4. Transfer the paste to the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. 

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated.

6. Transfer paste to a large disposable pastry bag that has been fitted with a large star tip (I used this one).

7. Pipe the paste into 3-inch round by 1-inch tall mounds on a silpat lined sheet pan; dust with confectioner's sugar.

8. Bake in 450F oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes more.  

9. Remove from oven and allow to rest until they're cool enough to handle, then poke a couple of vent holes in the bottom and allow to cool completely.

10. When completely cool, fill with a mixture of 1 part pastry cream and 1 part sweetened whipped cream.

Note

• I like to sprinkle the top of my cream puffs with confectioners’s sugar, but they’re great glazed in chocolate like an eclair (glaze recipe here).