TOMato Cream Cheese Tart

Ingredients 

For the Shortcrust Pastry 

2 cup – Wheat flour 

1 cup – Cold butter cubes 

1 tbsp – Icing sugar 

1/2 tsp – Salt 

2 to 4 tbsp – Cold water

For the Filling

200 gms – Cream cheese (i have used ready amul cream cheese, salted)

4 to 5 cloves – Garlic

10nos – Basil leaves

A pinch – Rosemary leaves

2 cups – Cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp – olive oil

1 tbsp – Crushed black pepper

1 tsp – Red chilly flakes

 

 

Method For the tart shell Take flour, salt, sugar in a mixie, add the butter cubes and pulse it bit by bit till the whole mixture resembles bread crumbs. Transfer these crumbs into a mixing bowl, add bit by bit ice cold water and bring the dough together and make a ball. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C Place this dough inbetween two layers of clingfilm sheets and roll it into a circle, a little bigger than the tart pan. Keep the thickness to 5mm. Carefully place the rolled dough over the tart pan and press it well. Using a knife trimm the extra dough hanging out of the pan. Line the tart with clingfilm and fill the pan with baking beans ( you can use uncooked Rajma or rice too ) and bake it for 8 mins (this method of filling the tart with beans and baking it first before you fill it is known as Blind Baking). Remove the beans and bake it further for an other 5mins. Remove and let it cool. You can make tart shells in advance. 

Method for Filling

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Add olive oil, red chilly flakes, rosemary and a pinch of salt. Mix well and let it marinate for 1 hour.

Using a Handblender blend the cream cheese till it is smooth and soft. If you feel it is still hard, just add a tsp of milk or yogurt and beat again. Add crushed garlic, chopped basil, rosemary, black pepper and mix using a spatula. 

Spread this even onto the baked tart shell. Arrange the tomatoes as per your liking. Sprinkle more rosemary over it. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till the tomatoes look roasted on top. 

 

 

 

Sprinkle some basil leaves and crush black pepper before serving.