Adding a little twist…
By Chef Deb Traylor
Often when I’m asked to bring an appetizer to an event I like to take a look at a familiar recipe but then give it a little twist.
At Ginger and Baker our focus is pie, so I thought it might be fun to transform everyone’s favorite artichoke dip recipe into something that can be served as an elevated version of its original self.
We took our traditional pie dough recipe, cut it to fit a muffin tin and filled it with a Colorado green chile version of artichoke dip. Then we added a little crisp radish salad for color and texture, and voila! a new appetizer was created.
We think this fun little app will be perfect to serve over the holidays, whether it’s an open house, a potluck or a football party with friends. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Happy Holidays!
Artichoke Heart Tarts
Makes 24
- 1 recipe pie dough, chilled overnight (recipe below or use refrigerated dough [not frozen!], in a pinch)
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup peeled, seeded and chopped green chilies (canned is okay)
- 2 green onion, minced and divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and slightly chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough to approximately 1/8-inch thick. Using a knife or cutter, cut circles out of the dough that are large enough to fit halfway up the sides of a muffin tin. Once the dough circles are placed in the muffin tins, place tins in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan, chopped green chile, 1 chopped green onion (save the other green onion for topping), garlic, and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Fold in chopped artichoke hearts.
Remove muffin tins from the freezer and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of mixture into each dough-lined muffin cup. Top with reserved green onions. If you have extra filling, you can distribute the extra among the tins or save if for a snack.
Bake tarts for 25-35 minutes or until the tops are bubbly and the crust is slightly golden. Cool for 15 minutes before serving, or serve at room temperature. These can be mad a day ahead and reheated before serving. Either way, these tarts get really lively with a topping of crisp salad.
Salad Topping
- 4 thinly sliced and julienned radishes (we used watermelon radishes for color)
- 1 stalk thinly sliced celery
- 1/4 cup tender celery leaves
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Gently toss all ingredients together right before serving. Place a tablespoon or so on top of each tart.
Basic Pie Dough
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, chilled
- 1/4 cup Tbsp. non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, chilled (or 6 Tbsp. additional butter if not using shortening)
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. ice cold water
- 1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add chilled butter and shortening and toss to completely coat with flour. Using your hands or a fork, quickly smash the pieces of butter/shortening between your thumb and fingers to flatten each piece to the size of a dime. Gently stir the flour and butter to make sure you flattened most of the pieces.
Combine ice cold water and lemon juice (or vinegar), and drizzle half of the lemon water over cold flour mixture and stir until the dough just starts to come together or turns “shaggy”. We prefer to use our hands but a fork works nicely too. Begin adding a few more tablespoons of water at a time, stirring between each addition. Once most of the water has been used (but you have a tablespoon or two remaining) use your hands to gather the shaggy strands into a ball and knead the dough two or three times. If you have dry bits remaining in the bowl, add a little additional water. (Your dough may appear wet or dry depending the climate in your area, so you will need to go slowly and adjust accordingly.)
Gather the dough in a ball, dust your counter with a tiny amount of flour, and quickly pat dough into a small flat disk. Cut dough in half and then stack one piece on top of the other, flour side down. Use the heel of your hand and press the dough down and divide in half once more. Cover both pieces with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight. This dough can be made a day or two in advance. Makes enough for two 8 or 9-inch pie crusts.
