One Bite Desserts: Apple Cambozola Tartlets

It's Blog Party time! Our hostess, Stephanie, from Dispensing Happiness, is throwing a party and the theme is Another Bite of Dessert. What could be more appropriate than bite-sized pies? Because I've always liked cheese as a dessert course I thought I'd see if I could combine sweet and savory in the right proportions. The gods were smiling upon me, because these little experiments are fabulous! Sweet creamy cambozola and tart apple make a perfect balance and I drizzled them with the tiniest amount of honey, hitting just the right note of mellow sweetness against the fruit and cheese. This is a dessert you can enjoy with a glass of crisp white wine... or port.

Apple Cambozola Mini Pies
makes 48 tiny little pies

Use your favorite shortcrust pastry (I decided to try Inge's recipe over at Vanielje Kitchen and I must say that she really knows what she's doing! This is really the perfect crust for these little beauties.)

8 ounces cambozola, crumbled
2 tart apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
4 tablespoons light cream
ground black pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon water or milk

Roll out your pastry. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, stamp out 48 circles (about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across) and line the deptressions in 2 mini muffin tins. Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of each little pie. Put the tin of pastry crusts into your freezer while you mix up the filling and the egg wash.

Combine the cambozola, apples and cream. You'll need to stir well to make sure the cambozola breaks up and mingles politely with the apples. Season with pepper to taste. Spoon a small amount into each shell.

Beat the egg with a little water or milk and brush the egg wash on the exposed edges of the pastry.

Bake at 375F for 15 - 20 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned.

Serve warm with a little honey drizzled over each mini pie.

Comments

[Adele]

Mmm. I find that apple desserts are usually a little too sweet for my taste. An apple-cheese tart sounds like a good way to strike a balance. :)

[Zenchef]

I never know what to pick between a cheese course and a dessert course so that sounds like the perfect compromise. They look delicious too!

[Karyn]

I usually try to use my words, but:

OMG!

WTF!?!!

I lurves it so hard.

Seriously. Cambazola, apples, and honey. In mini pie form. I'm in awe.

[shauna]

Oh my oh my! Back in the days when I could eat gluten (or so I thought), I would have snapped up a dozen of these at a party!

Now, sadly, no. The tart dough is no problem. Cambozola is one of the few flavors I miss.

But I bet it would be good with Humboldt Fog....

[Lisa]

Who is eating all of this stuff? send some my way....looks great!

[sugarlaws]

Ok, we are obviously psychically linked. I was at the gym this morning thinking about how to use my new square tart dish, and I thought, "how about an apple tart? yum. but i don't want it to be too sweet. maybe i could make a savory apple tart. maybe some cheese? cheese and apple? that would be delicious."

And, look, see what you did??? Delicious!

[Zenchef]

Hi Ann, If you check the latest post on my blog you'll see my entry for the mini-pie contest. I linked to your blog!
I hope it qualifies! :-)

[Ann]

Adele, these really did hit that nice balance between sweet and other. :-)

Zenchef, exactly my dilemma too!

Karyn, Ha! I think this is my favorite comment from you so far.

shauna, I think Humboldt Fog would be FABULOUS as a substitute!

Lisa, we ate these up ourselves. The rest of the sweets get sent to work and school with Jack and Sophie.

sugarlaws, we sure are! I can't believe we both went on a banana rampage recently!

Zenchef, Oh yeah, baybee... you qualify!

[Deborah]

These look delicious!

[myfrenchkitchen]

These tartlets looks great and I love the apple/cheese combination. I dn't know Cambozola, so I'll have to search for it and try it. this could also be nice, served in a bigger size as a light lunch with a green salad.
Ronell

[Ann]

Deborah, these are very possibly my favorite cooking adventure for the month of December. So far, anyway!

Ronell, a gorgonzola dolce would work just as well.

[african vanielje]

Anne, I love apple & cheese together. And the honey is inspired. I too have a thing about mini and individual portion pies, tarts, cakes,mousses...pretty much all baking actually. There's something about not having to share...