Artichoke and Feta Tarts

I had a particularly good week finding recipes I liked in our Bon Apetit magazine. I even told someone who I know reads this blog to keep an eye out for some good ones coming up.  This is certainly one of the things I was most looking forward to trying.

I don't know if I have ever had a savory puff pastry this way.  It is genius, let me tell you.  They look like pizza, but that flaky & buttery puff pastry really create something magical.  I really, really liked these.

Start by mixing 1/3 cup of heavy cream with 2 oz of feta cheese in a food processor with a little pepper.  You can add salt, but be careful depending on the other toppings you're using.  You don't want it to be too salty.

Blend it together until you get a smooth paste.  Then roll out some thawed frozen puff pastry.  It was a humid day and mine stuck together. That's why you'll notice they are no longer perfect rectangles.  In fact, the second one I had to roll into a ball and then flatten with a rolling pin. But it didn't affect the taste or texture any (thankfully).

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and lay out the pastry dough.  Carefully score some lines in the center of the dough -- but only press very lightly, without puncturing all the way through.

That scoring, along with your toppings, will keep the center of the tart from rising too much.  Then spread out the feta mixture from your blender, and top with some feta crumbles and artichokes.  I actually used shredded Parmesan cheese on mine too.

Drizzle it all with a little olive oil, and brush the outside of your crust with an egg wash.  If you like a lot of puffy crust, leave a larger border.  If you prefer a smaller crust, then spread the toppings further out to the edge.  The egg wash will help to get a beautiful golden sheen to the pastry.

I took some creative license and added pancetta and blue cheese to the second one.

Bake them in a 425-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until the dough has puffed up and turned a little golden.  Then reduce the temperature down to 375 and bake for another 20 minutes or so until the pastry is a deep golden brown and cooked through.  I rotated mine from top to bottom rack half way through each of those intervals to cook them evenly.

You'll notice anywhere that didn't have toppings really puffed up.  I loved it -- The Mrs preferred slices that didn't have as much flaky crust.

It is a very interesting riff off pizza, and the light & flaky dough is wonderful. I had several slices because I didn't feel it was very heavy.  Try it out with other combinations of toppings.  The magazine suggested Asparagus & Egg, or Red Pepper & Olive, or even Smoked Salmon & Scallion.

Enjoy.  Or should I say, "Bon Apetit!"