Huey's Mini Leek Tarts

bluemoon downunder's Note:

Adapted from Huey's recipe for Mini Leek Tarts, which he has classified as a SNACK ATTACK recipe. Huey (Iain Hewitson) is an Australian chef: he has written several cooking books and hosts a popular TV cooking show each weekday. If you preferred, you could use this recipe to make one larger tart, but if you do this, remember to adjust the cooking times. I have added onion and garlic to Huey's original recipe as the combination of leeks, onions and garlic - if you have not tried it - is truly delicious. Australian Tasty Cheese is a yellow, fairly flavoursome cheese used a lot in cooking. Vary the cheese to suit what's on hand and your taste preferences.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 24.0 mini le ...

• 1/2 cup water
• 450 g white part leeks, thoroughly washed, dried, halved lengthways and finely sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• sea salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups cream, low-fat is fine
• 1/4 cup grated tasty cheese, plus a little more
• grated tasty cheese, to sprinkle on top of each tart
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• olive oil flavored cooking spray
• frozen puff pastry sheet

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Boil the water, add the leeks, salt, to taste and butter and continue boiling until the water has almost evaporated. Then turn heat down and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the leeks are very tender. Then drain thoroughly.
3. While the leeks are simmering, place the chopped onion and minced garlic in a microwave-safe dish with the 1/2 teaspoon of butter and microwave for probably about a minute (try 1/2 a minute first) or until the onion and garlic have just softened.
4. Beat the eggs, the cream, the ¼ cup of grated cheese, the nutmeg and seasonings. Then add the leeks, the onions and garlic and mix thoroughly so that they are well-combined.
5. With the olive oil spray, lightly spray 2 mini muffin trays (24 cups) and cut out circles from the pastry sheets, just slightly larger than the muffin tins.
6. Gently push the pastry rounds into each cup and spread the leek mixture evenly between the cups, being careful not to over fill the cups. Then top each tart with a little grated tasty cheese and cook in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the tarts are golden. As ovens vary so much, it's a good idea to check them after 10 minutes. And if you know your oven is inclined to burn things, place a piece of kitchen loosely on top of the tarts for perhaps the first part of the cooking, and perhaps only add the additional grated cheese when you remove the foil.
7. NOTE: If you want to freeze the tarts, firstly put them in the freezer (cooled, but as is) for 1-2 hours. Then remove them from the tins and transfer to an airtight container, placing baking paper between each layer. To cook, put them back into the muffin tins and cook from frozen.

Reviews

[Julie B's Hive]

I only made half the recipe using heavy cream and a cheddar/jack cheese. We enjoyed these with a glass of white wine before dinner. Made for Newest Zaar Kids Tag Game.