Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts, delicious morsels of light, flaky, puff pastry, filled with onion marmalade and topped with vibrant, melted Sparkenhoe Red Leicester cheese. Resulting in the perfect party canapé.
While tasting this cheese, it has a nutty, almost grassy flavour that sets it apart from any similar cheese I have tried before. And a gorgeous golden wedge of unpasteurised cheese coloured using Annatto, a natural plant based dye that imparts it’s characteristic colour. Also, it makes a dramatic addition to any cheese board.
Since this cheese has a firm texture is perfect for slicing and finely grating. Encased in an all butter puff pastry, the grated cheese melts into the onion marmalade and creates the most delightful mini bites.
Topped with chives, that both echo the mild onion marmalade and grassy flavours found in the cheese, these little tarts are perfect to serve as canapés, party food, at a buffet or just for snacking on, warm from the oven with a glass of your favourite wine.
Made in minutes, these tarts are easy to make, bake in minutes and then ready to serve.
Recipe: Makes 28-32 Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts
Note: Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Cheese is UNPASTEURISED
320g Puff Pastry – I used ready rolled puff pastry from JustRol
100g/4oz Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Cheese – available from Pong Cheese
4tbsp Good Quality Onion Marmalade – I recommend Hawkshead Relish Red Onion Marmalade
3tbsp Chives – finely chopped
Method: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7, 425F
You will need a mini muffin tin to make these Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts. Alternatively, use a larger tin to make larger tarts!
Making the puff pastry tarts:
- First of all, if frozen remove the pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Cut the rind from the cheese and finely grate.
- Unroll the pastry and cut into 5cm/2″ squares. I actually used a ruler to measure out the squares.
- If your mini muffin tin is not non stick then spray with a little oil.
- Place one pastry square on to each mini muffin hole and press gently so that it dips in and forms a cup.
- NOTE – I overlapped two of the smaller pastry strips, squeezing them together, from the edge to create more tarts.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of onion marmalade to each pastry square.
- Place 1 teaspoon of finely grated cheese on top of the onion marmalade.
- Snip over a sprinkle of fresh chives.
Baking the cheesy tarts:
- Place the tin in the middle of the preheated oven and bake the tarts for 10-12 minutes. They are baked when they are risen, golden and full of bubbling, melted cheese.
- As soon as the tarts are baked remove from the oven.
- Finally, remove the tarts from the tin and place on to a serving platter, if serving immediately, or on to a cooling rack for serving later.
I served these tarts with a few extra chives snipped over for an extra pop of colour.
Served warm these Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts are at their best. Especially as the mild onion flavours pair beautifully with the warm, nutty cheese. Also to make ahead, store in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. Refresh by popping on to a baking sheet and into a medium, preheated oven for 5 minutes.
If you have enjoyed this recipe for Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts here are some others you may also like:
Goddess Cheese Pine Nut Muffins
Cheese comes in such a variety of textures and flavours. I am thoroughly enjoying experimenting with and using them as ingredients to create different recipes.
I hope I have inspired you to both make and try different cheeses?
So, whatever er you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.
Sammie xx
Pong Cheese provided me with the cheese for this recipe. All opinions, views, content and photography are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy.
