Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Kraft.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart ~ Given the appearance of this tart you might expect the tomato flavor to run so deep it sidelines all the other flavors. But one layer down you’ll find an unassuming elevating component, the Philadelphia pesto mousse lending a peppery bite and creamy texture to the sweet tart flavors of the tomatoes. There to assist those two layers is a pastry crust cut with parmesan and pine nuts.

Tomato season is just starting here. With that, my inclination is always to open the season with a twist on a Caprese salad, however, this year my first tomato batch went to what you see here.

But before we move on, let me assure you I have not gone rogue.  This savory recipe is one I developed for Philadelphia Cream Cheese with their new Cooking Creme.  And since it was a huge hit with my friends at our monthly foodie gathering, I thought it was certainly worthy enough to be submitted to Kraft and to be posted alongside my sweet confections.

The Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart can be fully composed the night before and assembled the day of. Adding to that, depending on your time constraints, you can short cut several portions of this recipe by using store bought pesto instead of making your own and using store bought pie crust instead of rolling one out from scratch.

So now that you know what went into my recipe development in honor of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest, here’s your opportunity to send in your own recipe for a chance to win $25,000! To enter click here for the rules and guidelines.

For those wondering, no this recipe was not entered. As an Ambassador for the recipe development portion of this contest, I’m not eligible-Boo! But, if you enter, let me know here or on my Facebook, so we can cheer you on! If you don’t plan on entering, don’t forget to go over to the RWOP community and check out some wonderful recipes. Once you do come back here and let me know what you plan on making. Lastly, don’t forget to check out what these other fantastic bloggers created as well!

Good luck and happy cooking!

A few notes:

• If you compose each component the night before, make sure to bring it all to room temperature for easy assembly.
• The tart can served warm or cold.
• I used a 14×4 tart pan, but if you don’t have one a 9 inch round tart pan will work just as well.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart

Makes one round 9 inch tart or one rectangular 14×4 inch tart

Ingredients:

Tart crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons) plus 1 tablespoon, cut into cubes and frozen
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely crushed pine nut
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg

Roasting the Tomato Filling:

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Pesto Mousse:

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 8 oz. Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
• 2 tablespoons pesto

Instructions:

Tart Crust:

1. Add flour, butter, salt, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and black pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in three second burst until mixture resembles wet sand with small pieces of pea size pellets. (Alternately, use a pastry blender and combine all ingredients until the mixture achieves previously mentioned appearance).  Using a fork or whisk stir the egg just enough to break the yolk. Add the yolk in a little at time and pulse for an 8 seconds burst. The mixture will look like wet sand and still crumbly. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and very lightly knead dough until dry ingredients start come together into one large piece. *The crust will not come completely come together at this point.* Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
2. Roll chilled dough and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or until dough is pliable. Place dough  between two sheets of parchment and roll into a 12 inch round. At this point the dough will now come completely come together. Peel away paper and  place dough over 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough into pan. Roll rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim excess crust. Seal any cracks with spare dough. Pierce crust all over with a fork. Freeze the crust for 1 hour. Remove crust from freezer and line crust with parchment or lightly buttered foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake the crust for 25 minutes.

Roasting the Tomato Filling:

1. Place tomatoes on bake sheet and drizzle olive oil and toss. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper and toss. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Set aside to cool slightly.

Pesto Mousse:

1. Add whipping cream to a bowl and beat until soft peaks form; set aside. Add Philadelphia’s Cooking Creme and pesto in a bowl and mix to combine. Using a wooden spoon or spatula gently fold in the Cooking Crème and pesto mixture and combine.

Assembly:

1. Gently spread mix Philadelphia Pesto Mousse over crust. Lay roasted cherry tomatoes on top.