savoury flans
These savoury flans are a beautiful, buttery pastry shell filled with your choice of cheese, vegetable, fruit, and nuts. The thought of making this pastry and then selecting the right ingredients for the filling was overwhelming. Before I knew it I was taking out the tarts from the oven and blushing as my friends heaped on the compliments. Two things were clear to me immediately: I had a winning recipe and I wanted to share it with Weekend at the Cottage. These gorgeous tarts gave me a lot of confidence and experience. I’m sure you will feel the same enthusiasm when making them.
PASTRY LESSON I believe it is easy to prepare the pastry. Follow the VIDEO for step-by-step instructions. You will need to combine the butter and flour until it is well-blended. Then, add the cold water in two portions. Finally, chill the dough for at least two hours before rolling it out.
TRY THIS CHEESY TIP: Cover the tart shells with your favorite cheeses before you add the vegetables and fruits. Smoked Gouda is my favorite because of its texture and flavor. But, why stop there? You are welcome to try mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, cheddar, Emmental, chevre.
Basic ingredients for savoury flans
- use 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 3/4 cup of cold butter.
- Cubed 6 tablespoons of water
- 1/2 cup cheese – thinly sliced or crumbled
- 1 cup vegetables – sliced and diced
- 1 cup nuts – chopped or sliced
How to make savoury flans
- Prepare the pastry. After this, Use your hands to mix the butter and flour until it forms a small, crumbly consistency.
- Mix in 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Stir. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of water. After this, Use your hands to knead the dough until it forms. Divide into two equal-sized discs. Now Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for at least two hours.
- Line tart pans: Use a lightly floured surface to roll one of the dough discs to line a 10-inch tart pan or four 4-inch pans. Line pan Use a fork to poke the dough. Set aside.
- Fill tarts: Place sliced or crumbled cheese on the shells. Add fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Sprinkle with herbs. Season the fish with salt and pepper. If desired, drizzle olive oil on top. Bake tarts: Preheat oven at 375°F. Bake tarts in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow cooling in the oven for five minutes. Serve whole or cut into tart pans.