Sunday, May 1, 2011

Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Every once in a while, I love to enjoy a Sunday Brunch Buffet with my family.  The Golf Club House where my hubby and I tied the knot (years ago) offers a fabulous Live Jazz Sunday Champagne Bruch.  The quality of the food is great and the price is reasonable.  It’s only a few blocks away from where we live now.  The problem is, I tend to eat a lot more than I should at the buffet!  Don’t you want to try a little bit of everything they offer?  Well, even with a small bite of every dish, it’s still over my calories intake limits, especially with a few glasses of mimosas!  Yeah, although mimosa is in liquid form, it’s not calorie free (like how I wish).  What’s the solution?  Dine at home of course.     

Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

So, what’s for brunch this weekend?  Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust!  It’s really easy to prepare and you can pre-bake the crust the day before so you can still sleep-in on the day you want to make the tart.  Plus, you get to relax and dine in at home.  No need to get up early, dress up, fix your hair and get the kids ready…etc.  You can enjoy a lovely brunch in your robe and slippers!  Ha! I bet the buffet can’t beat that!   ;)  Not to mention, it’s way cheaper than dining out. 

Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Are you sold on this idea yet?  I hope you are because I’m really happy that I did.  This Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust was amazing.  As I was taking pictures soon after the tart came out of the oven, I couldn’t help but noticed the wonderful aromas from it.  The texture of the pecan crust was crumbly with a nice crunch from the edges.  The flavor of the crust was buttery and nutty with a hint of sweetness.  The shallots was mild in onion flavor and complimented well with other ingredients without over powdering other flavors.  The custard was velvety and the salty prosciutto on top added a nice crunch.  The creamy brie on top melted beautifully and added a sophisticated cheese flavor.  I would definitely make this again, and again.             


Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust





Spinach- Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust: Printable Recipe
Servings: 4-6

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecan, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons cold salted butter (1 stick), diced
1 Safest Choice Pasteurized egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
A few handfuls of spinach, washed and patted dry
4 slices of prosciutto
3 Safest Choice Pasteurized eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
pinch of freshly grounded black pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 oz brie cheese, break into small pieces
a few sprigs of thyme

To prepare the crust:

In a food processor, combine the flour, pecan, sugar and butter. Pulse until the butter becomes pea size. Add egg yolk and mustard, process until incorporated. Put the mixture on a lightly floured board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the chilled dough out in between two sheets of plastic wrap to fit your preferred pie pan. If the dough tears, just gently patch it with your fingertips.

Line the dough with a piece of parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dry beans and blind bake for 15-20 minutes until completely done. Remove the weights and parchment paper.

Prepare the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and cook the shallots until caramelized (about 3-4 minutes), add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. In the same pan, quickly sauté the prosciutto until slightly crisped. They will crisp up more during baking. Remove from the pan.

In a measuring cup, measure the milk, whisk in the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and red pepper flakes until well combined. Layer the shallot and spinach at the bottom of the crust and slowly pour the egg mixture over it.
Top with slices of prosciutto and brie cheese.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the tart is golden brown and the custard is cooked. Sprinkle with freshly chopped thyme and enjoy.


This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Friday Potluck
Fresh Bite Friday
Fresh Clean and Pure Friday

39 comments:

  1. I agree, I love everything about brunch! Your tart looks beautiful and absolutely delicious!

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  2. You did not need to sell me on this after that first photo. I love everything about this.

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  3. As always a beautiful post! That first picture is perfect. I am definitely making this sans prosciutto but still delicious!

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  4. A perfect brunch! Please invite me when you're having a brunch next time :))

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  5. What a gorgeous looking tart!

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  6. This looks so delicious. The crust is particularly interesting. Pictures are lovely.

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  7. What a amzing looking tart! I adore the mould tray. It's hard to get it here. Salivating! Hope you're having a great week ahead. Happy Holiday!
    Blessings, Kristy

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  8. Hmmmm, delish! I love to have Sunday Brunch...or anytime really, especially with the mimosas. I like the fact that the crust can be made earlier too. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Pat

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  9. Amy! This looks wonderful. A must try to add to the list! As usual, another beautiful creation, my friend! But I would expect nothing less from your talented hands! xo

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  10. That looks so fantastic and so professional. First rate pictures and recipe.

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  11. That looks wonderful. Your pictures are beautiful. I may have to make an attempt on this recipe:) I like the pecan crust....I love it!

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  12. Wow! Amy! You have me drooling over your tart! Looks absolutely delicious! I would like to have a lunch buffet over at your house! :)

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  13. It looks amazing! The pictures are gorgeous too.

    Lori

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  14. Amy, this is my idea of a perfect tart! Such yummy ingredients...it has to be delicious!!!

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  15. Absolutely stunning photos. LOVE your blog!

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  16. This looks amazing!!

    I've just awarded you the Versatile Blogger award :)
    Come check it out

    http://www.catzinthekitchen.biz/2011/05/i-was-gone-when-i-was-given-this-award.html

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  17. Yum! I just made some spinach tarts the other day, but I love your flavor combinations! The pecan crust and prosciutto sound fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

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  18. Thanks for visiting my site recently. What a beautiful recipe - love everything about it and I've got it bookmarked for next week! I'm drooling over the pecan crust.... Happy Mother's Day!

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  19. Oh this looks unbelievably delicious!!! I can't wait to try it!
    Thank you for a sweet comment.
    Your new friend from http://willcookforsmiles.blogspot.com/

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  20. Wow - this is so pretty (and I'm sure it's delicious too!). Nice job!

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  21. Hi Amy,
    Your Tart is beautiful. I just love the combination of flavors in your recipe. Your photo's are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!

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  22. this really is the quintessential brunch dish, you have done a magnificent job - just beautiful!!!

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  23. Delectable! This lovely tart has all the ingredients I crave, and crave often.
    Beautiful photography.

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  24. Sounds delicious... and I love the presentation! :)

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  25. I was just talking with my fiance the other day that we haven't had brunch in so long! Now I know what I'm doing this weekend - making this tart! =)

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  26. your pictures and food look amazing..wow! I could lost here for days and days..................

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  27. Amy, I was so enjoying all your baked goods and photos... and then I saw this tart. It looks delicious! I will have to try it for dinner soon. Thanks for visiting my blog and come back soon!

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  28. I am indeed sold on this idea!!! Wonderful submission, love everything about this, but especially the crust

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  29. Rockstar of the day for posting savory for the pie party! It looks AMAZING!!

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  30. @ Fieldsofcake: Thank you for your sweet comment. I really appreciate it.

    Amy

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  31. Amy, I made this tart a few days ago and we loved it! Thank you very much for the recipe!

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    1. Hi Sonia, so glad you've tried the recipe and loved it. :) This is one of my family's favorite as well. You're very welcome and thank you so much for stopping by to let me know. Truly appreciate your comment. Have a wonderful Sunday.

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  32. Hi Amy - I'm planning on making this for a girls brunch this weekend; however, am having a hard time understanding why the dough would need to be rolled between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Can you help me understand?

    thanks!

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    1. Thanks for your question, Michelle. The dough itself is quite crumbly, rolling it between 2 sheets of plastic wrap not only is easier, but also prevent crack/tear of the dough, and you simple don't really need to use extra flour to roll it. Hope that helps.

      I'm sure you girls would love this tart for brunch. Let me know how it turns out. Have a great gathering.

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  33. Something was really off with the crust. I've gone over it a million times but when I did it, the crust was super crumbly. Unsure why. I had to pat it into the pan. No way I could roll it without it falling apart.

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    1. Hi Sara, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I've made this tart many times as well. The crust is a bit on the crumbly side but I never have problem rolling it out. Maybe the size of the yolk or the humidity in your area played a factor as well. If you feel the dough for the crust is too dry, add some ice water in the mix (a teaspoon at a time, not more than a tablespoon in total) until it reaches to a consistence that you like. That should help you roll out the dough easier. But it's okay if the crust tear apart a little when you roll, you can always patch it back. After all, you don't want to add too much water in the dough to make it too wet. Hope my tips would help on your next trial. :) Have a great weekend and thank you for trying the recipe.

      Best,
      Amy

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    2. Thanks Amy. It's currently cooking in the oven. My pan has a bottom that pushes out, and the egg leaked a bit out the bottom bc of my San andres fault crust...but I'm willing to bet it will still taste good. Sure smells good. I'm wondering if I over did it in the processor, but it always seemed dry. So maybe it is the egg size. I will try again and report back. Thank you for your help.

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    3. You're so funny about the "San Andres fault" description! But as you said, even with a little leak, I'm sure your tart will still comes out delicious. The size of the egg yolk matters(I use yolks from extra large eggs), and comes to think of it, the brand of the Dijon mustard might be another factor(because of moisture content). If your egg yolk is on the smaller size, maybe add a bit more. But really, my dough is not totally perfect either, but it's pretty easy to patch it back if you get a little tear while you roll the dough. Hope your tart comes out scrumptious and as delicious as you hope. Have a happy Sunday. :)

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