Smoked Salmon and Herb Tartlet

Dough

• 1 c flour
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ¼-in cubes, at room temperature
• 1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
• Nonstick cooking spray or butter

Filling

• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp red pepper sauce
• 3 oz sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped (about ½ c)
• Fresh dill or chives, minced, for serving

Makes 24 mini tarlets

To make dough: Pulse flour and salt together in a food processor. Add butter and cream cheese and pulse about 10 times, or until dough is crumbly. (Or, cream butter, cream cheese and salt together in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer on high speed, just until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour until dough clumps together.) Gather dough into a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 12-cup mini muffin pans with nonstick spray or butter.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide dough into 24 pieces and roll each into a ball. Place a dough ball in a muffin cup and press it firmly with wooden tart tamper or your fingertips to evenly cover bottom and sides of muffin cup. Freeze pans for 5 minutes to firm dough.

To make filling: With an electric mixer on low speed (or with a wooden spoon) beat cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, salt and red pepper sauce together in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon filling evenly into pastry shells.

Bake until shells are golden brown, and filling is puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around edge of each pastry shell to loosen, and then remove tartlets from pans. Let cool completely on wire racks. (Tartlets can be baked up to 8 hours ahead, covered loosely, and refrigerated.)

Top each tartlet with a piece of smoked salmon and a sprinkle of dill or chives. Serve immediately.

For more delicious recipes, visit your local store to purchase our cookbook, Cooking in Season with The Fresh Market.