For these savory tarts, puff pastry squares are filled with smoky prosciutto, sweet fig spread and tangy goat cheese, frozen and then baked until bubbly and puffy. A perfect impressive, make ahead, two-bite appetizer for your next gathering.
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Goat Cheese Appetizer with Layers of Flavor!
For one of Robert’s birthdays, I created this easy, make-ahead recipe for Prosciutto Fig Tarts and it was a winner. The method is the same as for our Cheddar Chutney Tarts (in my first cookbook “A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®).
Ingredients for Goat Cheese and Fig Tarts
You only need 4 ingredients to make these little bites of deliciousness:
- Frozen puff pastry – I like Pepperidge Farm brand.
- Fig spread – the most widely available brand is Dalmatia, which can be found in the deli department of most major grocery stores. Dalmatia also makes an apricot spread that works well in this recipe. Other good substitutes would be peach or pear jam or chutney.
- Prosciutto – can also use chopped cooked bacon or country ham.
- Goat cheese – can also use feta cheese.
Equipment
Quick Tip
It’s important when working with puff pastry to keep it cold. If it gets warm, it will be difficult to roll and cut, and won’t puff as much when baked.
How to make Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts
Here’s all you have to do to make these delectable two-bite appetizers. Note that the tarts need to be frozen before baking:
- Roll and cut pastry.
Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut into 2-inch squares.
- Form pastry shells.
Press pastry into small mini-muffin pans; prick with a fork.
- Fill shells.
Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon of fig spread into center of each square. Top with chopped prosciutto and goat cheese. Remove remaining puff pastry sheet from refrigerator; repeat procedure with second pastry sheet. - Freeze.
Freeze tarts in mini-muffin pans. - Prep oven.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. - Bake tarts.
Bake frozen tarts (in mini-muffin pans) 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and pastry is golden. Serve immediately.
Tips on Figs, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Tarts
Here are my tips for making these tarts perfectly every time:
- Using puff pastry. It is important when working with puff pastry to keep it cold. If it gets warm, it will be difficult to roll and cut, and won’t puff as much when baked. If it starts getting stretchy, put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.
- Chopping prosciutto. I find it’s easiest to chop prosciutto when it’s cold, and also when it’s sliced a bit thicker.
- Filling tarts. Don’t be tempted to add more filling to the tarts. If you do, it can ooze out of the tarts when baked.
- Freezing. Freezing the tarts is a critical step. If you don’t freeze (and then bake frozen) the pastry will puff up over the top of the tins and push the filling out.
Puff Pastry with Goat Cheese Storage
When you initially prep and make these tarts, place muffin tins in freezer uncovered. When frozen, remove tarts from tins and place in a freezer-safe zip top baggie. They will last in the freezer for up to 2 months (any longer and they won’t puff up properly when baked).
FAQs for Prosciutto, Fig, Goat Cheese Tarts
Prosciutto, which means ham in Italian, is dry-cured pork meat coming from the hind legs. It doesn’t need to be cooked. By comparison, bacon comes from pork belly and must be cooked before eating.
Goat cheese will become warm and soft when baked, but isn’t like to become creamy or runny in this recipe.
Pillsbury does make Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets but they aren’t widely available. You’re more likely to find Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (or an organic brand) in the freezer section of major grocery stores. I wouldn’t recommend substituting Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheets – they won’t puff as much or be as light and fluffy.
Keeping the pastry cool and not overworking it will ensure it puffs up nicely and gets crispy.
Goat Cheese and Fig Tarts with Prosciutto
Prosciutto Fig Tarts are easy to prepare and freeze up to 2 months ahead. Puff pastry squares are filled with chopped prosciutto, fig spread and goat cheese, frozen and then baked until bubbly and puffy. A perfect make ahead, two-bite appetizer for your next gathering!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Freezing Time: 120 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 6 dozen 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (17.3 ounce) package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator (see Tip below)
- 1 (8 to 8.5-ounce) jar fig spread (see Note below)
- 1 cup (6 ounces ) chopped prosciutto
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut into 2-inch squares.
- Press pastry into small mini-muffin pans and prick with a fork.
- Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon of fig spread into center of each square. Top with chopped prosciutto and goat cheese.
- Remove remaining puff pastry sheet from refrigerator; repeat procedure with second pastry sheet. Freeze in muffin pans.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake frozen tarts (in mini-muffin pans) 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and pastry is golden. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note on fig spread: Available in the cheese section at Whole Foods and other major grocery stores, as well as at specialty food stores. It’s also on amazon.com.
Make ahead: Tarts can be kept frozen for up to 3 months (any longer and they won’t bake properly). Remove frozen tarts from the muffin pans and place in heavy-duty freezer bags. To bake, place tarts back into mini-muffin pans.
Tip on using puff pastry: It is important when working with puff pastry to keep it cold. If it gets warm, it will be difficult to roll and cut, and won’t puff as much when baked.
- Category: appetizers, easy entertaining, make ahead
- Method: Freeze and bake
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
iI for
I forgot to prick the pastry puff dough before filling! will they end up a disaster???
Kathy – You should be okay. If they aren’t frozen yet, gently try to prick through the filling. The most important step to ensure they don’t blow up is to freeze them and then bake them from frozen, without thawing.
This was a wonderful recipe with lots of great tips that ensured success. Thank you!
Thanks, Reina – so happy to hear you liked my recipe!
Love the flavor combination and how simple and easy these are!