Goat Cheese Tarts

Elegant, Yet Easy, Appetizers
May 8, 2007 Stephanie Gallagher

These appetizers offer the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The goat cheese adds creaminess with a hint of tang. And the glazed walnuts, sweetened dried cranberries and strawberry jelly provide just the right amount of sweetness.

Mini fillo tart shells make these goat cheese appetizers a cinch to make. You can find them in the frozen foods section of your local grocery store. If you have a favorite recipe for glazed walnuts, be sure to use it. If not, you can find pre-made glazed walnuts in the produce section of your supermarket. Look for the Emerald brand.

This recipe is ideal for the cook who likes to experiment. Try substituting glazed pecans for the walnuts, raspberry jelly for the strawberry and dried cherries for the sweetened dried cranberries. Feel free to play with the quantities, too. If you prefer a sweeter taste, add more jelly. As my French cooking instructor said, "Good cooks cook by taste, not by quantities." Of course, she has a lot more experience, time and ingredients at her disposal than many of us home cooks.

Serve these goat cheese appetizers at your next dinner party, holiday gathering or family reunion. They're perfect for Mother's Day brunch, pot lucks, Christmas dinner and even a backyard barbecue!

Goat Cheese Appetizer Tarts
2 packages mini fillo tart shells (30 shells total)
1/4 cup glazed walnuts (such as Emerald), plus more for garnish
11 oz. semi-soft goat cheese
1 Tbsp. all-fruit strawberry jelly
1/4 cup cherry-flavored sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place glazed walnuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times until walnuts are chopped finely. Add goat cheese, strawberry jelly and dried cranberries to food processor and process until mixture is smooth.

Spread mini fillo shells onto two cookie sheets. Spoon goat cheese spread into mini fillo shells, dividing evenly among shells. Or make your own pastry bag by filling a gallon-sized Ziploc bag with the goat cheese mixture and cutting off one of the bottom corners of the bag. Pipe the goat cheese spread into mini fillo shells using the Ziploc bag. Garnish with additional glazed walnuts, if desired. Bake 1-2 minutes, just until warm.

Makes 30 goat cheese tarts.

Per appetizer: 65 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein, 3% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 3% calcium, 1% iron

Read more at Suite101: Goat Cheese Tarts: Elegant, Yet Easy, Appetizers http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/goat_cheese_tarts#ixzz0lSXZ10CS