Cheddar Cheese Tartlets

Source: Bon Appetit, May, 1998, p. 186

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Cottage Cheese, Packed
• ½ C. Whipping Cream
• 1¼ ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, loosely packed, grated
• 2 Large Eggs
• ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ⅓ cup Green Onions, Finely Chopped
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• 1¼ cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1¼ ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, loosely packed, grated
• ½ Chilled Unsalted Butter, Cut Into ½ Inch Pieces
• 5 teaspoons (approx), Ice Water

Method

Pastry

1. Blend the flour, salt, and cayenne in a food processor. Add the cheese and butter and process using on/off turns until coarse crumbs form.

2. Blend in enough ice water, by the teaspoon, to form small moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.

Filling

1. Blend the cottage cheese and whipping cream in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar, the eggs, salt, and cayenne, and blend well. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in the green onions.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 30 mini muffin cups (about 1¾ to 2 inches in diameter).

3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a scant ⅛ inch thick. Cut out 2¾-inch rounds with a cookie cutter, gathering and rerolling scraps to make 30 rounds total. Press 1 round into each muffin cup.

4. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of filling into each pastry cup. Bake until the filling is almost set, about 30 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Cheddar over the tartlets and bake until the cheese and crust are golden and the filling is set, about 10 minutes more.

6. Run a small knife around the tartlet sides and gently pry them out of the muffin cups. Serve hot or warm.

Can be prepared 1 week ahead: cool on a baking sheet, then cover and freeze. Rewarm uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 12 minutes.