Balsamic Chicory Pine Nut Blue Cheese Tartlets Recipes

TOSSED SALAD WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In a large salad bowl, combine greens and onion. Sprinkle with blue cheese and pine nuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss to coat.

PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until small pebbles form. With the machine running, add the egg yolk, vanilla and water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a dough ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey and pine nut filling: Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 13-inch circle and place in an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 more minutes.
• Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Place a piece of parchment in the center of the tart and fill all the way to the top with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set but still slightly pale, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the parchment and beans.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolk, lemon zest and juice into the cooled filling. Place the cooled tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the pine nuts inside the shell. Evenly pour the filling into the tart crust and bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is set and the very center still has a slight jiggle, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

BLUE CHEESE WALNUT TART

Steps:

• Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Bake at 425° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, blue cheese and garlic until blended. Add the cream, egg, cayenne and pepper; beat well. Spread mixture into crust. Sprinkle with red peppers, walnuts and parsley. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months, or bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until center is set., To use frozen tart: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Uncover; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is set.

APPLE-NUT BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add apple and onion; cook and stir 3-5 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in blue cheese, 3 tablespoons walnuts and salt. Spoon a rounded tablespoonful into each tart shell. , Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts; bake until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes longer., Freeze option: Freeze cooled pastries in a freezer container, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, reheat pastries on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven until crisp and heated through.

BLUE CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Roll out pastry on floured board to form a 12 inch circle.
• Using a 3 inch cutter, cut rounds of dough.
• By reworking dough scraps, there should be 12 rounds.
• Grease the back of a 12-cup muffin pan.
• Fit rounds onto pan and part way up sides of cup – the pastry goes on the OUTSIDE of the cup, not the inside, pressing lightly to seal.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• If pastry has puffed up, press down lightly.
• Set aside to cool Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
• Remove pastry shells from backs of muffins pan and place upright on cookie sheet.
• Place ½ T of blue cheese in bottom of each shell.
• Combine eggs, cream, milk, grated cheese, nutmeg and salt.
• Divide mixture among shells, pouring almost to the top.
• Don’t overfill as cheese mixture will rise during baking.
• There may be a bit of leftover filling.
• Place filled shells in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.
• Serve hot or tepid.

BLUE CHEESE, WALNUT, AND CHICORY SALAD

Steps:

• Stir or toss walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until very hot to the touch and toasted, about 5 minutes.
• Mix Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper together in a bowl for dressing. Pour in olive oil, about 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking constantly, until thick and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust as necessary.
• Cut radicchio in half; cut out the core using 2 angled cuts. Cut each half in half again and slice across into about 1-inch pieces. Slice root ends off of endive and peel off about 1/3 of the leaves, leaving them whole for presentation. Slice remaining endive into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Transfer all radicchio and endive to a bowl and toss, making sure leaves are separated and evenly distributed. Crumble in about 1/2 of the walnuts and 1/2 of the blue cheese. Pour in dressing and toss with your hands until everything is perfectly coated.
• Place whole endive spears on a serving plate. Pile salad on top and scatter remaining walnuts and blue cheese on top.