Individual, mini-sized savoury tarts filled with caramelized mushrooms, onions, red peppers and goat cheese are the perfect finger food for a brunch or party.

When I have a large crowd to entertain, I prefer to host an appetizer-style party rather than a sit-down meal. I also like to make sure there are sufficient choices of yummy bites for both vegetarians and meat eaters. These irresistible tartlets fit the bill for a satisfying vegetarian appetizer! Everyone loves them, which is the reason I’ve made them so many times for spring brunches, pot lucks and New Year’s Eve parties.

The dollop of goat cheese baked inside the tartlets is what really takes them over the top. Pop one in your mouth and taste the distinct tangy flavour and creaminess of the goat cheese which balances beautifully with the savoury filling. Everything is better with goat cheese!

Read on to see how you can you make these elegant and impressive tartlets! I’ll guide you through every step and show you how simple it is to prepare them ahead making entertaining a breeze.

No-fail tartlet pastry

The homemade pastry dough makes these tartlets so much tastier and flakier than using store-bought pastry shells. It’s really easy to make! Whirl up the pastry dough ingredients in a food processor then chill the dough before rolling.

Even if you’ve never made any type of pie dough before, I guarantee you won’t fail with this buttery pastry dough! The cream cheese in the dough makes it smooth and silky to roll and the butter allows them to bake to a crumbly flaky texture.

Savoury filling

The pastry shells are filled with caramelized onions, mushrooms, red peppers and fresh thyme which is all deglazed with a touch of balsamic vinegar. The layers of flavours which develop in the cooking process are beyond delicious! A dollop of goat cheese goes into each tartlet and creamy egg custard is poured over top to hold all the ingredients together. The tarts are then baked until golden-crisp and the filling puffs up.

Equipment needed

As mentioned above, a food processor is required to make the no-fail pastry dough. You’ll also need a 3” round biscuit cutter to cut out the rounds. I happen to have a 3” round scalloped cutter that creates pretty wavy edges, but a simple round 3” cutter works perfectly too. Lastly, you need mini muffin tins; ideally two 24 cavity muffin tins so you can complete the recipe in one round. If you have only one muffin tin, you will have to reserve the remaining ingredients and repeat the process.

Make tartlets ahead of time

You can bake the tartlets ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them until needed. I always do this when I need to prepare for a party as it makes entertaining that much easier. If making ahead, reduce the baking time by 2 to 3 minutes. Cool tarts completely and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. To reheat, place cold or frozen tartlets on a baking sheet (or back into the mini muffin cups) and heat in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and warm.

Tips

Work with chilled dough to ensure a flaky pastry
Use cream not milk – 18% table cream or ideally 35% whipping cream
Don’t over-fill tartlets with egg custard as it puffs up while baking
Perfect for making ahead – refrigerate or freeze baked tarts
Eat leftovers at room temperature or reheat in oven to ensure crispiness

The recipe yields 48 tartlets but since they’re so good you can surely count on every guest eating 2, 3, 4 or more!

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Tartlets

Irresistible finger food tartlets made with a golden flaky crust that holds a savoury filling of mushrooms, onions, red peppers and goat cheese are perfect for any event.

Servings 48 tartlets

Ingredients

Tartlet Pastry

3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup cream cheese
1 egg

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, small diced
340 grams cremini mushrooms, small diced
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
280 grams goat cheese (2 x 140g logs)

Egg Custard

6 eggs
½ cup 18% table cream or ideally 35% whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

For the tartlet pastry: Add flour, butter and salt to the bowl of a food processor and whirl until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream cheese and egg and pulse until combined and the dough starts to clump together. Divide dough into 2 portions and shape each into a large 6” to 7” disk. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours until firm.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large 12” skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 8 minutes while stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and caramelized. Raise heat to medium-high, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms; continue to sauté until the mushrooms are browned and tender, about 6 - 8 minutes.
Add red peppers and sauté until the peppers are just tender, about 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and stir to combine until the all liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly. Set aside the goat cheese until ready to fill the tartlets.
Roll out the tartlet pastry dough: roll each disc of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 14” circle (about ⅛” to ¼” thick). Cut out 48 three-inch circles, re-rolling the scraps as necessary. Place the circles into the cavities of the muffin pan by gently pressing them into the bottom and up the sides, bringing the edges of the dough to just above the rims. You may have some extra dough remaining, depending on how thick the rounds were cut. Refrigerate tartlet shells for 10 – 20 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
While the oven is preheating and the pastry shells are chilling, make the egg custard. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Evenly drop a dollop of goat cheese into each tartlet cup. Top each with 1 rounded teaspoon of the onion- mushroom filling. Gently pour in 1 tablespoon of the egg custard over the filling in each tartlet, filling it just to the rim. Do not overfill as the egg custard will puff up while baking.
Immediately bake for 18 – 20 minutes until lightly golden and crispy and the egg custard has set and puffed up. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove tarts to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with more fresh thyme.
Note: If making tartlets ahead of time, reduce baking time by 2 to 3 minutes. Cool tarts completely and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. To reheat, place cold or frozen tartlets on a baking sheet (or back into the mini muffin cups) and heat in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and warm.