Mini cheesy Peppadew tarts
Now that there’s less than a month to go til Christmas (wooo!), I’m well and truly in the festive mood. If it was up to me, I’d be wearing my Christmas slippers (maybe even some kind of festive headgear), watching Christmas films and eating mince pies one after the other from now until the Big Day. But alas, I think my husband would have a fit if he came home and found me in that state.
Instead, I’m starting to think about Christmas without actually having to admit that I’m thinking about Christmas. Little canapés like these mini cheesy Peppadew tarts are just the thing – they’d be brilliant for a Christmas party, or any other time of year. You don’t need an excuse to enjoy cheesy, spicy little tarts.
Best of all, these cheesy Peppadew tarts only need five ingredients, and they’re super quick to make. Just my kind of recipe! They’d be perfect for a last minute Christmas party, or if you want to serve something homemade but can’t be bothered to make anything too fussy.
The method couldn’t be simpler – just blend up some sweet and spicy Peppadew peppers (the hot or mild varieties will both work well, depending on how fiery you feel) with some cream cheese and a dollop of basil pesto to round out the flavour, then add the mixture to some little tart cases with some gooey grated cheese. Less than ten minutes of effort to make a tasty little canapé. Of course, you could make slightly larger versions to serve as a starter for your Christmas dinner, if you prefer, but I think these little bite-size versions are pretty irresistible.
Peppadew piquante peppers are one of my favourite ways to add tons of flavour to my recipes – the sweet spiciness is just gorgeous, and they’re so versatile. Check out my other Peppadew recipes for some more inspiration!
If you want to give these little Peppadew tarts a try, Peppadew® products are stocked in Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons,
Mini cheesy Peppadew tarts
Ingredients
- 120 g mild Peppadew piquante peppers (~ 1 cup)
- 300 g cream cheese (~ 1 cup)
- 2 tsp basil pesto
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 25-30 mini savoury pastry cases
- 100 g grated cheese (3/4 cup) - I used a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar
Instructions
- Finely chop the Peppadew piquante peppers in a mini food processor (or by hand, if you don't have one). Add them to a bowl with the cream cheese and basil pesto, and mix well. Season to taste.
- Distribute the mixture evenly between about 25-30 mini savoury pastry cases (the exact number will depend on how big your cases are and how full you fill them). Top each with a pinch of grated cheese, and bake at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is starting to brown. The tarts are best served warm.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
Ooh canapes! They always sounds so grand, but what brilliant idea for parties. Love peppadews too.
I love those little peppadews – so much bite packed into such a little thing! Your cheese tarts look smashing – just the thing for entertaining and evening nibbles!
These look SO yummy! I don’t know if I’ve ever had a peppadew! I need to change that :)
You really must! They’re SO good, they add so much flavour and they’re so versatile. Perfect for picking at over Christmas, or serving as an alternative to olives on a cheese board :)
I loooove peppadew peppers. We always have a jar of them lurking somewhere in the cupboard. Love this.recipe. so simple yet packed.full of flavour. Good.job!
I always have the hot Peppadews on hand to liven things up, and I absolutely LOVE this simple idea. I rarely do little pastry cups nibbles (no idea why!) but I will be bookmarking these as they really do look mighty tasty, Becca. :-)
These look perfect for a Christmas Buffet and the colour of the peppers is very festive too:-)
I hadn’t thought of that – you could add some fresh herbs as well for the red and green look :)
Wow they’re savoury tarts! And with cheese! They’re perfect to be on my party’s menu next week. Thanks Becca. Amazing recipe. You’re a great cook. Happy holiday!
Oooh i love Peppadews! One of South Africa’s best exports :) Great recipe for Christmas canapés+
Haha yes indeed! Great for canapes and lots more :)
Yummy, that’s what my little boy said when he saw your pics! My boy loves sweet tarts as much as I do, so those Peppadews sound amazing for us. Thanks for sharing
I have never cooked with these mini peppers. These mini cheesy Peppadew tarts look delicious, definitely make you want to give them a try!
You have to grab a jar next time you see them, they’re so tasty!
I love little peppadews, they add extra flavour to anything! Great idea to add them to mini tarts, I would definitely take them with me to work for lunch!
Oooh these would be so good in a lunchbox. Or on a picnic!
These are the perfect party bites, I do love peppadew peppers too. I have a very similar marble chopping board thing to you, only in a circle shape!
Haha – Homesense?
Looks great! Will definitely be making these over the festive period!
I adore peppadews, never think to use them as an ingredient, just eat them straight from the jar! Like the look of your tarts though!
Haha they’re pretty great eaten straight from the jar too :D I love them on salads!
Spicy cheesy tarts, sound like heaven!