Good Food, Good Life, 365: Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Tartlets

Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Tartlets

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine
• 1/3 cup gorgonzola or bleu cheese crumbles
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg plus one egg yolk
• Rich Pastry

Instructions:

1. Place the cranberries in a small saucepan with water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until cranberries begin to pop open. Cool mixture. Put in a jar and cover. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
2. To make the custard, put the eggs and cream in a large glass measuring cup. Mix with a whisk until you can’t distinguish the yellow from the white of the eggs. This can be stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
3. To make the tartlets, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take one disk of rich pastry from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temp for just a few minutes. For each tartlet, use a heaping teaspoon of dough, make a ball and pat into mini-muffin tin, covering bottom and part way up the sides.
4. Place walnuts on bottom of each tartlet, layered next with one cranberry (no sauce) and then the cheese.
5. Pour cream and egg mixture into tins, just enough so that it doesn’t come up over the sides of the pastry.
6. Place muffin tin in preheated oven and bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is slightly puffed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Let the tartlets cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully run a table knife around each tartlet and turn the pan over to release the tartlets.
8. One disk of rich pastry yields 12 tartlets.

Sue’s tips

The baked and cooled tartlets freeze well in a tightly covered container. To reheat, place frozen tartlets on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Just check them to be sure they are heated through.

I often prepare the tartlets up to the point of pouring the custard mixture into the pastry and keep the muffin tin of partially prepared tartlets in the refrigerator. I do this a couple of hours before my guests are expected to arrive. About 20 minutes before my guests arrive, I pour the custard mixture into each tartlet and place the tin/tins into my oven preheated to 350 degrees. Just have the holiday punch and cocktails ready to serve with the warm Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Tartlets. You will quickly be surrounded by smiling, happy faces.