Tarte Soleil with spinach pesto
Tarte Soleil is one of those great dishes. So impressive to look at when it appears and real easy to make at the same time. Made with puff pastry turned into little twisty strips, kids will love this tasty snack or party appetiser.
Servings 16 strips
Ingredients
- 2 large puff pastry sheets
Spinach pesto filling
- 80 grams fresh spinach
- 80 grams Parmesan cheese
- 1 large garlic clove
Toppings
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
Spinach pesto filling
- Steam your spinach for 5 minutes until it collapses. Drain thoroughly.
- In a food processor, blend the steamed spinach, Parmesan and garlic until it makes a smooth paste.
Assemble the tart
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350°F) fan setting.
- Lay a large piece of greaseproof baking paper out on a flat surface. Sprinkle it with flour.
- On the paper, roll out your first puff pastry sheet until you can cut a 15 inch (40 cm) circle out of it. Place a round 15 inch plate on top of it to help you cut out a clean circle.
- Repeat the process with the second pastry sheet and set it to one side.
- Transfer one of your pastry circles, together with the greaseproof paper underneath it onto a baking tray.
- Spread your spinach and Parmesan cheese filling over it. Leave an inch around the edges clear.
- Wet the edges using a little water and your fingers. Then carefully lift and place the second pastry circle on top of the first.
- Press the edges together to seal them. You should now have two puff pastry circles on top of each other, with your spinach filling in the middle.
- Place large coffee cup or glass top-down, in the middle of your circle. This will be the centre of the Tarte Soleil that you won’t touch.
- Using a sharp knife, make a series of cuts away from the glass at the 3,6,9 and 12 o’clock points of the circle. Be careful not to cut through the baking paper underneath. If your pastry feels too soft when you’re cutting it, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it firmer and then continue cutting.
- Make each quarter into halves and then halves again. Each quarter should now have 4 strips giving you 16 strips in total. They look a bit like the Sun’s rays radiating out from the centre.
- Remove the glass and pick up one “ray” at a time. Place your finger at the base of the ray (at it’s weakest point) and gently twist it a few times. Do this for all the strips. Your Tarte Soleil is ready for the oven.
Cook your Tarte Soleil
- Beat 1 egg in a small bowl and brush it over the top of the pastry. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or your preferred toppings.
- Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes then transfer it carefully onto a serving platter.