June 06, 2010

Party At My House!

Strawberry Brie Tartlets...


My husband and I are party people. We are always looking for an excuse to lay out a glorious spread of edibles and aperitifs. What's better than a warm amalgamation of friends, food and music? Not much that I can think of. We think of our home idealistically, as a meeting place where people can relax, connections are made, friendships are developed, where inspiring conversations are aroused...a place of both reasoning and laughter.

Therefore, I have an extensive collection of throw-together party foods for whenever the moment strikes! As I've mentioned in The Impromptu Brunch, sometimes these things are rather short notice! Frozen puff pastry is something I keep on hand at all times. It's extremely handy for quick hors d'oeuvres and desserts. If you entertain regularly, you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve!

Bite-size tarts are perfect party nibbles that can be made in a hurry. This particular variety is essentially a deconstructed classic baked brie. I've layered the ingredients I might used to wrap and flavor a whole wheel of brie, and baked them into tiny bites of heaven. I find at get-togethers, friends are more likely to eat the less-messy items, especially if it's an event where they are standing and roaming around. Tartlets are easy to pick up and carry! Individual tarts takes a few more minutes of assembly time, but less time in the oven than a whole baked brie. They also look lovely in a sweeping display of delicacies and are a summertime favorite!

The better part of one's life consists of his friendships. ~Abraham Lincoln


Sommer


Strawberry Brie Tartlets

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg + 1 Tb. water
10 ripe strawberries
5-6 oz. soft ripe brie
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt
Honey for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 400*. Using a 2 inch cookie cutter, cut out at least 40 pieces of pastry dough and lay them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.


Use a fork to poke holes in the center of each piece of dough to keep the centers from rising too much.


Whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tb. of water. Brush the egg wash over each piece of dough. Bake the dough for 8-10 minutes, until golden-brown.


Meanwhile, slice each strawberry into 4-5 thins slices. Scrape off the rind and slice the brie into thin rectangles. Pull the thyme leaves off the stems.

 

When the puff pastry is golden, remove it from the oven and allow the centers to collapse a little. If they don't--poke them down with a fork! Then layer the brie over each pastry, followed by a strawberry slice, a few thyme leaves and a sprinkle of salt.


Bake another 2-3 minutes until the brie has melted. Drizzle with a scant amount of honey before serving! These are wonderful served warm or at room temperature! Makes approximately 40.


Strawberry Brie Tartlets on Foodista

31 comments:

  1. Wow, simple combination like this is so great. It makes sense but it never struck my mind to get it on a plate.

    I bet all your friends will ever be so pleased with these thoughtful tartlets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh. Wow. Ok, so when I saw the title of your post I got really excited (berries and brie together, obviously awesome), and you did not disappoint. These look amazing! I would love to come over to your house and you could entertain me any day with one of these tartlets! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am sure that these will taste great... so colorful and as mentioned a great combination of ingredients... lovely little finger food tartelets!!

    p.s. love your cookie cutter...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great combination ! Not only for the start of a meal but also a great way to finish the cheese course. We are big party people here - any reason for bubbles , good friends and great food !

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great idea. My daughter loves brie - I bet she will like these.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bumper strawberry crop, so everyone should try this one. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm coming over! These are great party appetizers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. mmmm...brie and strawberry. I think my party invitation got lost in the mail. These look wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yum! The combo of strawberry and brie sounds excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gorgeous,I bet they were really tasty. Good idea all around!

    ReplyDelete
  11. We're totally party people too and having a repertoire of quick apps is key. And these, yep, these are being added to my list of quick AMAZING apps.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sommer, Totally gorgeous party material girl!

    Thank you for a great, feast for the belly and feast for the eyes appetizer that we can all enjoy this summer!

    Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    ReplyDelete
  13. Simply wonderful :-). These look awfully good and the ease with which they can be prepared would make them a go-to on anybody's list. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks wonderful! I did something very similar using rice tortilla for Mother's Day :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. These looks great. I love the combination of flavors. My husband love brie, this will be a big winner.

    ReplyDelete
  16. These are perfect for parties! Wish I had that chance of being invited to eat these yummy tartlets. They look irresistible!

    ReplyDelete
  17. These look amazing! I love baked brie.

    ReplyDelete
  18. That is so pretty! And looks delicious. Next time you have a party, invite me!

    ReplyDelete
  19. These look so good. I love brie, I love strawberries, let me say : I hate myself for not being your friend

    ReplyDelete
  20. strawberry amd brie oh what a match...almost too pretty to eat..almost, great recipe lovely pics

    sweetlife

    ReplyDelete
  21. Can I be invited at your house? I love to entertain too, and those bites are perfect for one of those nights, and not too time consuming! I actually never combined strawberries and brie, but sounds like a fabulous combo! I bet the thyme added a great touch too!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sommer, I gasped when I saw these and my mouth started salivating :). I WILL be making these soon. Thank you so much for sharing this!! They look addicting.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow these are decidely different and visually fabulous! Love the size too The perfect mouthful.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Genius combination! The strawberry brie tartlet recipe is going in my recipe box to make next time we host a party.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow ! Your post is giving me palpitations! I love Brie and these look gorgeous...guess what I'm buying tomorrow?

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is so singing to me. I do love strawberries paired with brie. The thyme addition is calling summer.

    ReplyDelete
  27. So gorgeous! This is so pretty and perfect 'wow' factor for a party! :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yummmmmmy... that looks delicious!!! awesome work here :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. You've sold me, Sommer. I must start keeping puff pastry in my freezer - these sound and look amazing! ( :

    ReplyDelete
  30. Beautiful party food. Looks simple to make and beautiful when served. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sommer. this is just amazing! Sadly I would have to substitute for the strawberries (allergic), but that dough and brie... Fabulous!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for taking the time. If you have a question, I'll get back to you ASAP!