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Whipped Goat Cheese Filo Tarts + VT Creamery + Farmhouse Pottery Giveaway!

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comToday, I’m giving away an epic package that is very near and dear to me. Since moving to New England, I’ve been so enamored by the community here, both rooted in tradition but also unafraid to push boundaries. There’s history. There’s a strong sense of community and sustainability. There’s warmth and welcoming. Vermont, in particular, has grabbed my heart and I’m not-so-secretly obsessed with it. My dream when I grow up is to move out there and raise goats and chickens, do some maple sugaring, and constantly visit my favorite makers there. I’ve been going on and on about Vermont Creamery’s crème fraîche and aged goat cheeses, and now one of you gets to win a package of assorted goat cheeses, crème fraiche, and cultured butter, and a 10″ cheesestone (altogether $170)!!!! Hosting a party or get together? Well, I think this your solution for things to munch on :). Scroll down for the giveaway!

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.com

Thank you all for your comments in my last post! Your support means the world to me – December is always a crazy, emotional, but undeniably exciting month. As a way to thank you all, I’m hosting a series of giveaways throughout this month. We started it off with a Finex giveaway and then went right into a Staub cocotte giveaway (by the way, this ends tomorrow!! last chance to grab your very own Staub cocotte!). On Instagram, I’m also hosting a giveaway for a California Olive Ranch Limited Reserve extra virgin olive oil!! If you’re not following me there yet, hop on over because I’ll be hosting more both here on the blog and on Instagram :).

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comDuring the holidays I make everything mini-sized, because they’re perfect for setting out on a plate for friends and family to help themselves to. One of my favorite entertaining tricks is to put together a great cheese and appetizer plate. First of all, nothing breaks the ice like some light cocktails or a glass of wine. Second, with drinks there should be something to snack on, such as cheese and light appetizers. A spread of universally adored goat cheese, crackers, fruit, and nuts would do the trick, but I can’t resist adding in something cooked as well. These flaky, warm, filo tarts are simple and great for parties or get-togethers. Since my recent obsession with the juxtaposition of sweet and savory, I often combine fruit with a savory element, such as Asian pears and prosciutto, or apple and bacon. The beauty of these tarts is that they are completely customizable. Switch out the fruit, the meat, or omit the meat entirely. Fruit and goat cheese tarts are a classic, after all. I’ve provided three of my favorite topping combinations – Asian pear, prosciutto with drizzled honey; apple, rosemary, and bacon; and mushroom, caramelized onion, and thyme.

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.com

You can either buy pre-formed filo cups, or easily make your own. I followed the kitchn‘s instructions and used individual tartlet molds, but you can use muffin pans as a mold as well. The main thing to remember when forming these is not to let the filo dry out. I put a sheet of wax paper over them as I’m working, which seemed to do the trick. I also used 5 layers, just as the instructions say. The first time, I used 7-8, and the filo tart ended up puffing right out of the tartlet molds. 5 was the perfect number – still flaky, layered, and kept the shape of a tartlet cup.
Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.com I used Cremont as my main goat cheese – it’s the “Cream of Vermont”, and is a mixed-milk cheese, and creamy as you can get. It’s got a great, silky smooth texture, and whipped with creme fraiche and greek yogurt and you’ll be eating it off the spoon before you fill these tarts up! The whipped goat cheese is added right when the cups come out of the oven, letting the residual heat slightly melt the goat cheese without turning into a melted mess.

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.comAssorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.com

GIVEAWAY


For this epic giveaway, you’ll get: an assortment of Vermont Creamery fresh and aged goat cheeses, crème fraîche and cultured butter valued at $75, selection may vary from photo; a 10″ cheesestone from Farmhouse Pottery – together, the perfect hostess gift!!! To enter: Fill out the widget below, and leave a comment telling me what your favorite cheese is. The contest will close in a week, and a winner will be drawn randomly! Good luck!


 

 

 

This post is sponsored by vermont creamery in collaboration with farmhouse pottery. All opinions expressed are purely my own, as always. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support this blog. I’m so in love all their cheeses and products. Their crème fraîche is a given, but their aged goat cheeses (cremont! bonne bouche! bijou!!! coupole!) are to die for and perfect for any kind of appetizer (both cooked and on its own), and their cultured butter is so dreamy I want to only bake/cook with it now.

Assorted Whipped Goat cheese Cremont Tart | bettysliu.com

RECIPE: Assorted Whipped Goat Cheese Filo Tarts
Three variations:
Asian pear, Prosciutto, drizzled honey | Apple, rosemary, bacon | Mushroom, caramelized onion, thyme

Filo Cups
1 package frozen filo dough, thawed
¼ cup melted butter

Form Tartlets: Preheat oven to 375F. Unroll filo pastry sheets and cover with wax paper to prevent drying out.

Lay one sheet of filo out and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another sheet of filo on top. Repeat until you have 4-5 sheets of filo stacked together. Using a sharp knife, slice into equal squares squares and press into tartlet molds or muffin pan. One stack can make 9-12 tarts, depending on the size of your tarts. Carefully roll up remaining filo to reserve for other purposes.

If using tartlet molds, place on a baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Whipped Goat Cheese Tarts

1 package of Cremont, at room temperature.
2 tbsp crème fraîche
2 tbsp greek yogurt

Make Whipped Goat Cheese: Beat goat cheese with crème fraiche and greek yogurt until light and fluffy.  Set aside. Once the tart molds are removed from the oven, immediately dollop whipped goat cheese over tart molds. Add toppings and serve warm.

Toppings

½ Asian pear, sliced thinly
prosciutto
honey, to drizzle

½ apple, sliced thinly
3 slices bacon, cooked and rougly chopped

A quarter of a white onion, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped mushrooms of any variety (I used oyster mushrooms)
1 tsp chopped thyme, and more for garnish

Asian pear, Prosciutto, drizzled honey: top goat cheese with thin slices of Asian pear. Nestle prosciutto around pear slices, and drizzle with honey.

Apple, rosemary, bacon: top goat cheese with thin slices of apple, rosemary sprig, and crumbled bacon.

Mushroom, caramelized onion, thyme: Heat up 1 tbsp butter or olive oil in a skillet. Cook onions on low heat until soft, brown. At about 15-20 minutes, add in mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are soft and onions are caramelized. Stir in chopped thyme. Spoon mushroom mixture onto goat cheese tartlet, and garnish with a sprig of thyme. Optional: top with pomegranate seeds.

 

153 Comments

  1. Goat cheese is my favorite and go-to…the soft log, usually plain, but sometimes one of the jazzed up logs. I also love Camembert, it reminds me of time spent in France. And mozzarella…it’s pretty standard, but also so delicious to snack on 🙂

  2. What a lovely spread you’ve composed! I’m always so inspired by your photos and flavour combinations…

    My favourite cheese?! Sacre bleu, what a hard question. It’s probably one of the dozens of varieties of veiny, pungent blue cheese. With some honey. And figs. And prosciutto. Yeah.

  3. I LOVE Vermont Creamery’s classic Goat Cheese log which I buy weekly at a local Wegmans…wish they’d carry the whole line!

  4. Delicious! I’m the only one in my family who eats goat cheese, but you better believe I could knock this out singlehandedly. 🙂
    My favorite cheese is called Seastack from the Mt. Townsend Creamery. Soft, mild, with a creamy center and an ash-washed rind, I seek it out any time I find myself in the Seattle area.

  5. I love brie! Well, brie slathered with homemade jam, wrapped in pie dough and then baked. The oozing cheese is so good after it comes out of the oven

  6. My favorite cheese by far would have to be pepper jack or cream. Sadly, I have a hard time keeping any other cheese down. 😪

  7. How in world could anyone pick a favorite cheese? It would be like picking a favorite child or a favorite pet. I really think it’s a trick question and anyone that picks just one will be disqualified. It’s just not right!

  8. My favorite cheese HAS to be Brie. So creamy when you melt it but firm if you leave it cold. Spread over a cracker with some raspberry jelly and I’m in heaven!

  9. this week, my favorite cheese is a very dry Monterey Jack cheese I bought at Frederick (Maryland)’s Crisafull’s Artisanal Cheese Shop. Last week, from the same shop, my fave was Cavalry Camp Ash goa chteese produced by George’s Mill Farm. It’s really hard to choose just one.

  10. I am so in love with this post and this giveaway. Cheese is my guiltiest of guilty pleasures because although I’m lactose intolerant, I will never skimp on my cheese. The occasional outrage my stomach retaliates with is so worth the savory delicacy. You’ve beautifully captured the food.

    My favorite cheese is this chunk of cheddar cheese with caramelized onions from Trader Joe’s (I’m salivating thinking about it).

  11. Herbed goat cheese! I can’t usually get it onto a cracker- I’m eating it off the spreader knife! So good, and we put it in omelettes, too!

  12. I would absolutely love to win this spread and share with friends during our next gathering! Looks amazing, great pics and flavor combinations. There are so many cheeses I love; cheese for every situation. My current obsession is brie; a favorite lunch is baguette with brie and a few olives or cured meat.

  13. Goat cheese is my absolute favorite! It complements so many different dishes and it is just so creamy and delicious!

  14. I love Vermont Creamery! The best cheese makers with the best quality. I’m excited to try some of these recipes, I’m typically a cheese purist and don’t like to cook or bake with many artisan cheeses, but these recipes sound awesome!

  15. Where to start?!?! Cheese and I have a very healthy relationship (I enjoy it every time I eat it! Haha). My favorites are goat cheese (also, cranberry goat cheese is delish), Brie (the house Brie at Wasik’s cheese shop in Wellesley, MA from Lyon, France is to die for), and cave aged Gruyere! My mom is Swiss so I grew up eating delicious cheeses!

  16. How can I pick just one cheese?? With Thanksgivng so recent in memory, the goat cheese paired with the cranberry and balsamic over winter greens wins my heart. But then a triple cream Brie with apricot preserves and thin crackers is an all time go to favorite, too. And really, can you forget about a fresh burrata with olive oil and cracked peppercorns??

  17. It’s pretty impossible to pick a favorite…I’ve loved goat cheese since I was a little kid, my mom used to make it! Fresh cheese, paneer, mozzarella, Crete fraiche is super special in summer, more dank cheeses in winter!

  18. St. Maure de Tourraine is my absolute favorite, but hard to find. And this VT girl can’t live without cheddar.

  19. Betty! Happy Christmas! OH what fun to be doing all of these giveaways. And your table-scapes lately have been blowing my mind. This one is no exception. Plus, if you ever do move out to Vermont and do your own maple sugaring – can I come visit and play?! That sounds amazing :). Hope you are having a wonderful season friend <3

  20. My favorite cheese is you’re three peppercorn goat cheese log! I just moved from Vermont to Wyoming and I’m having withdrawal from this cheese. I put it on everything, eggs, salads, I even add it to salad dressings to add some creaminess.

  21. So glad to see vt creamery celebrated. They deserve it, for using local products and growing a goat dairy industry in Vermont. My favorite – Creme fraiche- put it on anything- baked apples, pie of all varieties, or by the spoonful.

  22. Cremont is a favorite… both personally and professionally. As a fundraiser, I often include it in event host gift baskets!

  23. Cremont has to be one of my all time favorites when it comes to Goat cheese! Tarentaise (hard cheese made from cows’ milk) is also a person fav 🙂

  24. I’m kind of obsessed with brie and goat cheeses right now, but it’s a wonderful time to try new varieties. And I *love* the giveaway!

  25. Gasp. This looks so gloriously creamy, crunchy, all around like an amazing experience! The cheese question is actually really hard, but I’d have to say that Gouda and the SHARPEST of cheddar (or its cousins)cheese are my favorite. <33

  26. Not to sound “cheesy,” but I’ve never met a goat cheese I didn’t get along with. Whether swirled into pasta or a salad, tossed into a tart, piled high on a pizza, or partnered with something sweet (hello, honey), it’s creaminess makes my taste buds want to dance and my palate want to party every time.

  27. My favorite cheese is goat cheese – hands down. I could put it on everything. My #cheesebabygirl is drooling over these filo tarts you put together and that BEAUTIFUL cheese platter covered in cheese and noms!

  28. Favorite…not easy but love goat cheese with roasted beets, pistachios and balsamic. The assorted goodies from Vermont Creamery would be a great addition to our family.

    thank you!

  29. This isn’t easy since it’s rare to run across a cheese I don’t love. I’d have to say that hands down a good triple cream brie has been in the running for decades. This is followed by an artisan goat cheese covered with fresh herbs. Put those in front of me and I’m done for! But in a very good way!

  30. Your cheese board is gorgeous..I am pinning for the recipes along with your ALWAYS exquisite photography!
    We love cheese..all cheese.
    I haven’t met q cheese I don’t throughly love.
    But, I use Brie, goat, feta and Parm the most..daily
    Thanks

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