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, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Co-op – or if you’re in the USA, you can buy them online. Mild and hot Peppadews are reduced to £2 in most UK supermarkets in the run up to Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled for a great deal!

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Mini cheesy Peppadew tarts

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

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.

Course: Appetiser

Author: Becca Heyes

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

Here’s another great tart to serve with your Christmas dinner – smoked cheese, walnut and broccoli tarts. So much flavour!