Oven-Roasted Tomato & Gruyere Tarts

Oven-Roasted Tomato & Gruyere Tarts
Oven: 375°F to 400°F

Prep time: 45 minutes

Baking time: 50 minutes

Yield: 12 tarts

These tarts hit about every note on the savory scale: rich, salty bacon and Gruyère are offset by the natural sweetness of caramelized tomato and roasted garlic. Bake that up in a creamy custard, and you have a handheld bite of bliss.

For the Tomatoes and Garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Custard
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup whole milk
½ cup half-and-half

For the Assembly
Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
1 package ready-made pie dough (2 rounds), at room temperature
1 cup grated Gruyère
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy then cut crosswise into 2-inch strips

Make the tomatoes and garlic
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and turn onto the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the tomatoes are dehydrated and golden, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

Make the custard
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, basil, nutmeg, whole milk and half-and-half until thoroughly combined.

Assemble and bake the tarts
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-well classic cupcake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll the pie dough onto a flat work surface; no need to flour it first. Cut each round of dough in half, and then cut each half into thirds for a total of 12 pieces. Place one piece of dough in each well of the prepared pan. (The fit will be asymmetrical.) Using kitchen scissors, trim any excess dough to 1/2 inch at most.

Finely chop the roasted garlic cloves then distribute them in the bottom of each well. Top each with 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese. Fill each well three-quarters full with the custard. Evenly distribute the tomato halves among the wells. Top each tart with several strips of bacon. Bake until golden and puffed like a soufflé, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. (The custard will deflate slightly after the tarts come out of the oven.) Loosen the sides of each tart with a table knife and insert the tines of a fork between the pan and each tart to lift it out.

If you would like to make these ahead of time, refrigerate the tarts overnight (or for up to 3 days), then reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

For more delicious and surprising cupcake pan meals, pick up a copy of Savory Bites (Published in 2013 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang) at your local bookstore or order at AbramsBooks.com.