Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone

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This elegant looking Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone recipe can actually be whipped up in under an hour and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your holiday feast or cocktail party! Please note that this post was sponsored by Alessi Foods. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.

A Tarte Soleil what with a helping of Marscapone who? Yeah – that is what your guests are going to say when you whip out this gorgeously delicious appetizer and they stare back in amazement at how sophisticated you have become. This sun-shaped puff pastry star may look super complicated but it can actually be made in under an hour and can even be prepared a few hours ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling the last few minutes before people arrive.

The puff pastry is filled with a sun-dried tomato tapenade and then cut into sections that are twisted before baking. This makes it the perfect entertaining food because your guest can just pull off pieces to dip into the marscapone without having to use any utensils. The subtly savory marscapone dip is so rich that it almost taste like a savory whipped cream with a crunchy toasted pine nut topping.

I’m sure you’ve heard of capers but caper berries may be a new concept for you. Caper berries are the green, oval-shaped, seed-filled fruit left after the the caper bud blossoms. Alessi’s caper berries are packaged in white balsamic for an intense and briney ingredient that compliments the sun dried tomatoes perfectly. You should be able to find them next to the capers in most grocery stores.

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Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone

This elegant looking Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone recipe can actually be whipped up in under and hour and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at your holiday feast or cocktail party! Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings: 12 as an appetizer

Calories: 242 kcal

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 1/2 cup Alessi sun dried tomatoes drained and finely chopped
• 3 oz Alessi caper berries in white balsamic drained and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the assembly:

• 1 package puff pastry thawed in the fridge overnight
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water

For the dip:

• 8 oz marscapone cheese
• 1 oz Alessi pine nuts toasted, + more for topping
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• salt / pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   

2. Stir all of the filling ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.

   
   

3. Unfold the first piece of puff pastry (it should come in two pieces in the package) onto a sheet of parchment paper. Place a 8" the plate over the puff pastry, facing down, and use a knife to cut the puff pastry into a circle. Using a new sheet of parchment paper, repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry so you have 2 8" rounds of pastry dough.
   

4. Spread the tapenade mixture onto the first sheet of circle pastry and spread into an even layer, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges.
   

5. Brush edges with water and place the second circular puff pastry piece over the filling and press down on the edges to seal.
   

6. Set a small glass upside down in the center. Being careful to avoid the parchment paper, cut 16 even strips into the dough, stopping at the glass so that the center is still connecting them all.
   

7. Remove glass and gently twist each strip a few times two full turns. Brush the top all over with the egg white mixture.
   

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a serving tray.
   

9. Meanwhile, whip all the dip ingredients in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more pine nuts and fresh black pepper.
   

10. To serve: have guests tear off the "rays" and dip into the marscapone dip.
    

    
    

Nutrition Facts

Tapenade Tarte Soleil with Pine Nut Marscapone

Amount Per Serving

Calories 242 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 35mg12%

Sodium 269mg12%

Potassium 183mg5%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 335IU7%

Vitamin C 2.5mg3%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1.2mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.