Saturday, May 12, 2012

Mascarpone Asparagus Tarts (with pictorial)—For Mother’s Day

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From my previous posts, we have desserts, a home made gift, and an entrée all covered for Mother’s day.  Now, it’s time to talk about appetizers.  This is probably one of the easiest appetizer that you can prepare that’s tastes and looks so sophisticated that it’s almost a crime, almost

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I love appetizers, and I think all celebrations and gatherings should include an appetizer, if not 2, or 3.  Smile This one is super easy to put together that you have no reason not to give it a try.  Plus, the flavor is amazing.  The creamy mascarpone is perfectly seasoned and flavored with the herbs.  The chive adds a nice and mild oniony flavor without overpowering the delicate mascarpone.  The thyme adds a nice and refreshing lemony scent to the filling.  The puff pastry is buttery and crispy, which goes really well with the creamy filling.  The flavor of the asparagus are intensified after roasting with a crisp-tender texture, which is perfect in my opinion.

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Now, let’s move on to the step-by-step pictorial, shall we?  Smile

1) In a medium bowl, mix the chives, thyme, salt and pepper and mascarpone cheese together.
2)With a pizza cutter, divide dough into 4 equal size squares.
3) With a pairing knife, gently create an 1/2-inch border on all 4 portioned dough.
4) With a fork, gently prick on the puff pastries within the border.

Pictorial A

5) Spread the mascarpone mixture over the puff pastry.
6) Top with trimmed asparagus.
7) Whisk an egg yolk and a tablespoon of cream together.
8) Brush the puff pastry edges and bake to golden brown.

Pictorial B

See, I told you it is super simple, right?  The flavor is incredible too.  I cut them in half to create 8 servings for appetizer.  If you’re serving these as entrée, which is totally a wonderful option, you can serve them as is and maybe have a side salad or soup to complete the meal.

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Last but not least, Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers, Grandmothers, and Mother-to-Be’s!  Have a blast and enjoy your day with great food and wonderful family.  Smile






Mascarpone Asparagus Tarts: (Printable Recipe)
Servings: 8

4 ounce mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
a small bunch of asparagus (around 12 to 15 spires)
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg yolk whisked with a tablespoons of cream for egg wash (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a medium bowl, add the chives and thyme leaves into the mascarpone cheese, stir until the herbs are well distributed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Wash, pat dry and trim off the tough parts of the asparagus ends.  Cut into thirds.  Set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, unfold the puff pastry and gently roll it with a rolling pin to seal the seams.  With a pizza cutter, divide dough into 4 equal size squares.

With a pairing knife, gently create an 1/2-inch border on all 4 portioned dough.  Be careful not to cut through the puff pastry.  With a fork, gently prick on the puff pastries within the border.  Evenly divided the mascarpone mixture onto the puff pastries and spread the mixture with the border into a thin layer. 

Place the asparagus onto the mascarpone mixture in a single layer.  Place the puff pastry onto the lined baking sheet.  With a pastry brush, brush egg wash onto the border and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.  Cool the tarts slightly.  Cut each square diagonally and serve warm.



22 comments:

  1. These are gorgeous - sure to impress mom!

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  2. I always associate mascarpone with sweet dishes and desserts such as tiramisu but savory tarts proved me how little I know about mascarpone. I can imagine how well the creamy smooth mascarpone can go with the veggies and puffy pastry. Saving the recipe for my next gathering! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I guess I love mascarpone cheese so much that I try to use them in as many recipes as I could. hahaha....let me know how you like these tarts after you've tried. :) Hope your friends and family would love them too.

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  3. Beautiful tarts. And filled with my fave spring veggie. ;)

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    1. Thanks, Carolyn. Yes, gotta love my veggies....and pastries! :)

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  4. How cute! They look wonderful.

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    1. Thanks...best of all, they taste as good as they look. ;) Happy Friday!

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  5. Beautiful~ Amy, may God bless you with a wonderful mother's day! xoxo

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    1. Thank you my Dear. Hope you had a wonderful Mother's day too. :) Happy Friday.

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  6. You make that look so easy and delicious. This will be one I will make very soon.

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    1. Oh yes, I love how quickly I can put them together. :) The flavors are just as amazing. Happy Friday to you.

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  7. This is SUPER cute and delicious! Not to mention EASY! I love how fresh thyme looks on the photograph too (besides the delicious fragrance). Very pretty post. And yes, I'll make this soon!

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    1. Thanks, Nami. Yes, I love how simple these tarts are and tastes fancy at the same time. I planted a few pots of fresh herbs outside of my kitchen to make sure I have fresh herbs all the time. Best thing is I only cut whatever I needed. So, there's no wastage. ;)

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  8. These look so delicious, I would make them just for myself since my hubby doesn't like asparagus (silly guy).

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    1. hehe...I'm sure you'll enjoy these tarts. Hm...maybe you can put another kind of veggies on his so he can still enjoy this tart. I think zuchinni would work well in here. :)

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  9. Oh dear, do these look amazing or what? Must make!! Pinning.

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    1. Thanks for pinning. :) I'm making more of these tarts tomorrow! They are just really good. Happy Friday.

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  10. Gorgeous! How funny is that I had this for dinner, although I used smoked cheddar. Gotta love Food Magazine :)

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    1. I say great minds think alike! I don't subscribe to Food Magazine so I didn't know they have something similar. I think the smoked cheddar would be great in this tart too. Gotta try that next time. Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping by.

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  11. love your asparagus tart..love the cheese on top too. came into a very lovely blog here with all the good guidance. brilliant work

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    1. Thank you so much. I think you'll love this tart too. Very delicious and easy to make.

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