Fully preoccupied with coming up with fun new shapes for my favorite cookie a few weeks ago, I went deep into a YouTube cooking show rabbit hole and emerged somewhere in France, where a twisted pastry that goes by the name tarte soleil stopped me in my tracks, and zipped itself right to the top of the Must! Cook! Now! list.
It looks like it would take tweezer-level pastry cheffing to pull off, or at least some advanced mathematics. You’d imagine that this recipe would begin with a bracket of instructions labelled “Day One:” and you’d close the tab immediately. But you, like me, be forgetting that most French home cooking is remarkably simple (intentionally leaving the souffles and quenelles for the white tablecloth-ed establishments) and if you can find puffed pastry worth eating in the freezer case and leave it in the fridge overnight, you could be bringing this to a party an hour later. Trust me, I leave everything to the last minute and still got this out of the oven and digitally recorded with available light before the sun set at approximately 3:22 p.m. yesterday.
Which is the other reason this, to me, is the fitting-est thing to make this week as it’s both great party food (you get to grab those radiant beams by the crunchy ends and sweep them through a bowl of whipped lemony feta before chomping down, yess) and an upbeat celebration of the sun itself, which as of last week’s solstice, we’re finally going to see more of again as we tilt towards the light.
One year ago: Roasted Grape and Olive Crostini
Two years ago: Gingerbread Snacking Cake and Rum Campari Punch
Three years ago: Fromage Fort
Four years ago: Cinnamon Brown Butter Breakfast Puffs
Five years ago: Crescent Jam and Cheese Cookies and Milk Punch
Six years ago: Spinach and Cheese Strata and Pear Bread
Seven years ago: Braised Beef Short Ribs
Eight years ago: A Blue Cheese Iceberg Wedge and Robert Linxe’s Chocolate Truffles
Nine years ago: Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars and Oven Ribs, Even Better
1.5 Years Ago: Cherry Almond Dutch Baby
2.5 Years Ago: Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw and Peach and Pecan Sandy Crumble
3.5 Years Ago: Triple Berry Buttermilk Bundt and Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime and Mint
4.5 Years Ago: Blueberry Yogurt Multigrain Pancakes
Feta Tapenade Tarte Soleil
Inspired by a whole bunch of YouTube videos; the feta dip is from Ina Garten
I texted a picture of this to a friend yesterday and she said her husband “thought it was chocolate was getting in the car to come over” which seems like a good time to note the obvious: you could fill your puffed pastry sheets with anything you desire, so long as it’s spreadable and not too runny. On the savory end, I made a pesto-tapenade-ish blend of sundried tomatoes (because the 80s are back), kalamata olives, oregano and garlic and a dip of whipped feta that you could not possibly go wrong with. For a more subtle flavor, basil pesto or another garlic-herb paste, plus or minus some sharp cheese, this walnut pesto or pretty much anything else you can dream up would likely work well here too. Should you want to make a sweet version, perhaps jam, Nutella, melted chocolate, almond or another nut paste, and a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar or chopped nuts (with or without a puddle of dark chocolate ganache to dip it in) might be fun places to start.
My puffed pastry packages were 1 pound each; my usual favorite brand (DuFour) comes in 14-ounce packages; if yours, too, are smaller, you’ll probably only get a 10 to 11-inch round out of it and might have a tablespoon or two of filling leftover. Btw, I added 1 tablespoon parsley leaves to my filling for color, but as is barely noticeable and added little flavor, you can absolutely skip it.
Filling
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves; thyme and rosemary would work too
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil or reserved oil from tomatoes, plus more to loosen if needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
Assembly
2 packages puffed pastry (leave in fridge overnight to thaw)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon sesame or poppy seeds to sprinkle (optional)
Dip
6 ounces feta, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, cold is fine
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Coarse or kosher salt, to taste (changed from 1/2 teaspoon, which could be overkill if your feta is very salty)
Freshly ground black pepper
Make the filling: Blend ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped and spreadable. Mixture will be thick. You can thin it with more olive oil if needed, but no need to make this thin like a sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Assemble the tart: Roll first package puffed pastry flat on a large piece of parchment paper or reusable baking mat into a 12-inch circle; use a 12-inch round plate or bowl to mark the size for a clean cut. Repeat with second dough, setting one aside in the fridge until needed.
Place first round on a parchment- or nonstick mat-lined baking sheet. Spread with filling to all but 1-inch from edge. Dab edges with water and place second round on top. Set a small glass upside down in the middle. Being careful not to cut through parchment paper or baking mat, cut away from glass (i.e. not through center) in quarters, or at the 3-, 6-, 9- and 12 o’clock marks. Cut through each quarter again, making 8 strips, and again, making 16 strips, and one last time so that you have 32 “rays” of pastry emanating from the center. If at any point in the cutting the pastry feels annoyingly soft and hard to cut, just pop the tray in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it back up.
Remove glass. Place finger near center of each ray (where it is most likely to break off prematurely) and gently twist each strand a few times. Beat egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water; brush it over pastry and sprinkle with seeds, if desired.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown all over.
Meanwhile, make whipped feta dip: Blend all filling ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Place in bowl for dipping.
Remove tart from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a serving platter. Tear off rays of sun, dip in whipped feta; repeat as needed.
Looks amazing!!
How much does one puff pastry package amount to if I want to make it by hand?
nathan — My packages were 1 pound each, so 2 pounds of puffed pastry. Ambitious!
I made this on New Year’s Eve and 2 pounds of puff pastry was too much. 2 pounds is two boxes which is four sheets of puff pastry. Next time I made this I would only is 1 pound (1 box) of puff pastry (2 sheets) and I think it would turn out correctly. I had never used puff pastry before, so this was important for me to get learn.
I think the DuFour puff pastry only has one sheet per box, not two.
Oh my gosh, you should try that with sweet yeast dough! It’s so popular in Israel recently that it’s almost psychedelically scary.
This will be on the coffee table on New Year’s Eve when we are watching the bowl games. Can’t wait!!
This looks delicious and I appreciate the versatility of a recipe like this–will have to make it for New Years!
Hi Deb! This looks so great! I’m wondering about making this ahead of time. Can it be assembled and stored before being baked? Or would it be best to bake it ahead of time and then stored? Maybe a quick trip to the oven to re-warm it?
Kristen — The latter. I’d bake it and gently rewarm it before serving. It’s also just fine at room temperature, just maybe a little more dynamic/nuanced in flavor when warm.
Do you think this can be baked and then frozen for a few days?
I haven’t tried it. If just a few days, might keep just fine in fridge. Or you can freeze it unbaked but filled for a few days.
I baked it for Christmas on Christmas morning, and then reheated it at 350 for 5-10 mins or so to warm it before eating it in the evening.
Your pic stopped also me in my tracks this morning! Can I use a muffuletta tapenade or will that be too “bold/salty” with the feta dip? (I’m asking because I already have some made.) thank you for your recipes, they are amazing!
Gorgeous and looks easy enough, even for me! Must try!
That’s absolutely extraordinary! Thank you for demystifying puff pastry. I can’t wait to try this for New Year’s Eve! Thank so much. I owe a lot of my new found love of kitchen creating to you Deb, your readers and everything that is Smitten Kitchen. Thank you for making my world more delicious! Happy New Year!
I love this. It reminds me of something I saw on the Great British Baking Show (which is the most utterly enjoyable, charming, good-hearted reality competition I’ve ever seen).
Deb – and if you do make it in advance as you suggested, should it be stored at room temperature, covered, or in the fridge until re-warming? Looks AMAZING!
Wow, does that look good. Seems like the hardest thing would be not eating the entire thing by myself.
Yum!! Here’s a fall version for your consideration:
http://acozykitchen.com/spiral-pumpkin-twists/
Looks amazing and I cant help feeling that this would be badass with a sweet nutty filling and finished off with a honey suryp (not too much) to make a baclava-inspired (calm down, I said ‘inspired’, not actual baclava) wheel of happiness.
My brain is also playing with some sort of chestnut remonce filling with a dark bitter chocolate dipping sauce.
Either way – will be making both savoury and sweet versions of this and take all the credit :-D
AMAZING. Love it!!!! I’m not an olive fan so would try it with pesto. Thank you!
So is the circle in the center after all the rays are pulled off some kind of party prize or cook’s treat? This looks so delicious, easy, and FUN!
This is beautiful! And has me thinking about the pull apart rugelach recipe you posted over Chanukah. I made it with dried cherries and it was a massive hit with the chocolate bits. Seems like this could be a contender for another shape for pull apart rugelach too! Maybe smaller rounds so the wedges are shorter. So many ideas!
I *love* the idea to use this shape for pull-apart ruggelach!
I think this could be amazing with a pie dough crust too. Not as light, but easier to make at home. Love this!
Sorry to be that guy, but… last week was the Winter Solstice, not the equinox. *puts on Cone of Pedantry*
I make a sweet pastry all the time, which is very similar. My family calls it poinsettia coffee cake. I make a danish-type pastry dough and layer in a filling (brown sugar and butter with walnuts, or a delicious cream cheese and orange filling my sister developed) then twist. Its always a hit, and easy for everyone to pull of a twist of their own to enjoy. I’ll have to try this savory option…
Jumping straight to the top of my make-now list too! Thank you for going down that rabbit hole!
Where did you get the round baking dish for this? I love it!
Wow, I had to save this right away for this not only looks pretty awesome but combines two of my favourite ingredients: feta and olives. Wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing!
Deb – this is beautiful and the dip would be great with veggies on its on. Love this! Also may I also add that I love getting your newsletter, I was sick for the holiday and your newsletter was a nice treat and made me smile. I love receiving it
Also I checked with my Jewish husband and he never heard or has had latkes that were run through a blender. I wish my motherinlaw was alive, Rozzies reaction would be priceless we are a shred and squeeze all the water out of the potatoes family.
May this year bring much love, peace and happiness to you and your beautiful family.
This looks amazing and I cannot wait until I make it!! Thanks!!!
Hi, this looks amazing. You are brilliant and I love following your blog.
Can this be made ahead of time or is it a last minute dish?
Your “rabbit holes” are our best luck! This is FABULOUS looking, and seems do-able. Two of your wonderful hallmarks. Thank you for making my New Years Eve something to anticipate, rather than dread ( I’m not getting any younger…)and I concur about the Newsletter. It is just the right length and I have found several great recipes from the archives which I might have otherwise missed. The “Surprise Me” key is my favorite. That was/is absolute genius.
OK, now I know what I’m serving as an appetizer for book club. Thanks Deb.
Oh, this is so gorgeous. I want to have already made this to celebrate the winter solstice. Since I can’t travel through time, I’ll have to settle for celebrating the new year.
Ooohhh!! Looks amazing. I’ll make this for the girls for my daughters birthday party tomorrow with Nutella. Do you think the egg wash would work with the sweetness or should a brushing of butter be better?
Sorry – love your site, don’t comment but could not pass the ref to equinox. It’s a solstice, not an equinox. Equinox – equal times of sun and dark. Solstice – least or most light.
Just in time for a special party! Thanks!
Plus, I’m thinking of a chocolate one with some finely minced nuts, served warm along with individual bowls of ice cream. Yum!
Amazing that something that looks so complicated turns out to be fairly straight forward. I can only bet that you were happy and relieved that it turned out so well. Thanks for sharing your masterpiece! Happy New Year!
Hi Deb,
Looks like I can’t get DuFour where I live. I’m looking at ordering it online. Is ten bucks a pound a normal price? Also, do you have any other brands that might suffice?
Thank you for the other filling suggestions! Olives are the one thing I really don’t like, and it makes me so sad. I may just have to put this together for NYE!
Equinox, solstice — Right! Now fixed. (Related: I should sleep more.)
DuFour — I forgot to mention that it’s really quite expensive (small batch, best ingredients, all that). It tastes, to me, otherworldly but that doesn’t mean if you have another brand you’ve been using and are content with, you shouldn’t use that here. There are many other strong flavors to carry this.
To make this ahead — I’d go ahead and bake it and then perhaps gently rewarm it before serving. It’s also fine at room temperature.
Round baking dish — This is actually a cast-iron pizza pan (!) I bought eons ago from Lodge; always forget I have it. (Because it’s shoved under a piece of furniture in the living room, if we’re being honest.) You can find it on Amazon.
Hi Deb- is halving this an option? We are celebrating a small New Years with just our family and this looks like it will make a lot! Should I attempt smaller circles from 1 sheet of puff pastry?
Looks fantastic. This is on my must make list. Thank you.
Looks amazing! And I was just thinking what to make new year’s eve… Problem solved! And it’s always good to see pictures of your beautiful kids too :)
Would this be magnificent with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts oh yeahhhh I love your recipes btw :-)
@aarthi: not to butt in, but halve it by making it a half circle, like a sunrise! Still nice size twists, but not so many!
Yikes, gorgeous and looks delicious! And in a sweet version, anything twisted immediately brings to mind poppyseed filling…
This will be awesome to make later this week. I am definitely making half a recipe because though your photos look gorgeous, it would be too much for two people. Especially with soup!
Cary- feel free to butt in! I love that idea. Would look super cool and still get as many twists. Thanks for chiming in.
This looks like a savory version of King Arthur’s Cinnamon Star Bread that I have had earmarked for a couple of weeks. By earmarked, I mean the page is turned down in their catalog. :) You must check it out.
This looks so delicious and elegant! Perfect for New Year’s Eve!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I thought this was chocolate too – it is beautiful! Please do consider making a round two and giving us ideas for making it sweet. Thank you – I love this!!
I’ve seen variations of this all over Facebook lately; most recently with Nutella in the middle!
Yours, however, is by far the prettiest and easiest. The others I’ve seen do start with making dough. I much prefer puff pastry!
I saw the King Arthur Flour Cinnamon Star Bread, too. (The recipe is available online as well as in the catalog.)
The adjacent segments are twisted in opposite directions; the counter-rotating twists give it a slightly different, in my opinion ‘fancier’, look. But you would have to be sure to cut an even number of segments and always do the same number of twists to make it work.
I’d love to make this tomorrow night–but don’t have puff pastry currently in the freezer. Do you think it could thaw throughout the day? Alternatively, what do you suggest using if thawed puff pastry is unavailable? Thinking pie dough possibly…
Bread and spread. What’s not to like.
It looks really bright (golden) cheery and inviting. I love the dusting of salt and parsley.
It’s like the most “adult” pretzel.
Cheers to you and yours.
GK
This is fantastic! What an amazing centre piece for a party and relatively simple if you use store bought puff pastry.
OMG!!! I absolutely need to try it!!!!!!!
This looks so flipping cool can’t wait to knock one out!!!
Stunning!
And can also be vegan if you use tofu for the dip, and vegan puff pastry (my Lidl puff pastry is vegan!)
Happy 2016 Smitten!
Gorgeous! I am a fan of DuFour as well, pretty much the only commercially available puff pastry made with butter not shortening. It is so beautiful, adding this to my NY’s Eve menu. Thanks!
I’m actually in New York City to watch the ball drop but now can’t wait to get back to Toronto to make this and all the awesome variations. I’m thinking this will be perfect for the Super Bowl. Thanks and Happy New Years!
Deb, I must tell you I read every one of your posts for the writing along, even if I’m not interested in making the dish — and that’s said as a novelist-in-training! Yours is absolutely the best food (and living) blog there is. Happy New Year! (And I didn’t even notice the “equinox” reference, even though I’m a pedant too. ;-)
Love having another recipe to use puff pastry. It is such a great product. This looks like it will be fun to make and present to guest. Boy, are they in for a treat. Thank you so much.
Deb, this looks amazing! I’m pretty sure this twisting technique is going to meet the recipe for your beer, mustard and cheese pullapart bread. I hope the two will live happily ever after at my house :)
Goddam celiac disease!
I would love to make this for a NYE party, but the hostess doesn’t like cheese (Crazy, I know). Any suggestions for an alternative dip? I am not remotely creative in the kitchen; I merely follow (generally, your) great recipes.
Two questions: I don’t like olives, but I do love sun dried tomatoes. I nsomething like a chicken recipe, I sub capers in for the olives, but I think that would be too briny here? Any suggestions about what else I could combine with the tomatoes?
I have a pizza stone, but it doesn’t have a lip. Could I use that as my baking pan?
Thanks!
Wowzer!
Problem: olive allergy. :-/
Question: can u suggest alternative filling(s) that would have the same impact in this awesome looking dish???
Pleeeease?
Trader Joe’s has a really nice puff pastry which they usually stock around the holidays. It is made with butter and costs a lot less than DuFour. I stock up when appears in their freezer case.
The tart looks divine.
Trader Joe’s and everywhere else in my town are out of puff pastry dough. I’m going to have to make it from scratch.
Deb, thank you so much for posting this! I am throwing a New Years party and this will be PERFECT. Thank you!
This is visually stunning! And in addition to sounding great as written, it looks so customizable! BTW, for anyone living near a Wegman’s Supermarket, their private label brand of puff pastry is also all butter, just like Dufour, but it’s less expensive. It’s great quality and I suspect it might even be made by Dufour. The end results are indistinguishable.
Hi Deb,
Very impressive/pretty!
Btw, I just read a beautiful new book by author/poet Susan
Musgrave – A Taste of Haida Gwaii, Food Gathering and Feasting at the Edge of the World. She references you and your cookbook a couple of times – “Deb’s astoundingly awesome recipes.” Nice!
I hope to visit Haida Gwaii one day (my brother and sister in law said it was an amazing place). I do manage yearly trips to NYC.
You cookbook is well stocked and displayed in Canadian bookstores.
Cheers from the Canadian Prairies,
Trevor
OMG food porn- must try this.
Deb, I just made a Christmas tree with pesto filling using the same method. It came from a French website and showed up on my Facebook page two weeks ago. It was a great hit at Christmas. Here’s the site: http://www.demotivateur.fr/food
Looking forward to making this one and the dip sounds great.
NYTimes published a quick and easy puff pastry recipe by Samantha Senviratne that is sensational. I made the pastry dough and tried to make Danish. My filling and fashioning flopped but this is my go to dough from now on.
Making your recipe for New Years.
Happy New Year everybody
Any suggestions on how to expedite if I missed the boat on thawing the pastry dough overnight in the refrigerator?
Just wondering if you’re planning any website updates in the future? For what it’s worth, I’ve been dreaming of nested comments (not sure that’s what they’re called, basically having your reply right under the question, indented) for years… I’m sure I’m not the only one who likes to read through your replies before making a dish, to scout for any additional helpful tips. But with the question and the reply separated, I have to scroll down to your reply, then scroll back up and try to find the original question, which is quite time-consuming. Anyways, just a suggestion in case you’re keeping a list of wishes :)
I saw your post yesterday and immediately went out and bought puffed pastry. The only puffed pastry at my grocery store was Pepperidge Farms. It comes with two squares of pastry per package, but each package is a net weight of 1 lb. Do I combine the two to make two pounds of pastry? That seems a little complicated. Does your package only come with one pound square? Maybe I’ll just try using one package. I’m making this for a NYE party tomorrow night. Can’t wait!
I just made this and ate a third all by myself before it even cooled, IT’S THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER HERE.
So, I saw this posted yesterday and I just had to make it. I was introduced to puff pastry by Ina Garten recipes and have become comfortable using it (not easy stuff to work with but if you know to keep it cool it’s great stuff, right?!). Anyway, I made this yesterday and it was fantastic. Nothing left and that was only myself and my husband eating it! Ha! The dip is great too! Thank you for getting me out of my cooking funk! I’ve needed something inspiring to get me back in the kitchen (it’s been a few weeks…).
ps. I use Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheets (Ina Garten’s puff pastry of choice).
Hi Liz! Question – did you use one box of pepperidge farm puff pastry?
Dorie Greenspan has something similar with the “tasty thing sandwiched between puff pastry” but she used a strong grainy mustard, and I’ve done a psuedo-French onion version with caramelized onions, grated gruyere, and a little thyme. This looks much prettier (and easier) though! And seconding the TJ’s puff pasrty!
ooo @fork in the road has inspired me: how great would a pretzel version be with mustard dip???!
Do you think this could assembled and then frozen? Then could you bake for a little longer directly from the freezer? Because, if so, that would AH-MAZING!
For those who want to try their hand at making puff pastry, the Fanny Farmer cookbook has a recipe for a simplified version that, IMHO, results in a product that is the equal of “real” puff pastry and MUCH cheaper than DuFour.
Truely gorgeous! A work of art.
Literally salivating here.. I actually whimpered a little when I saw the photos – totally pinned to my Must Make list, and plan on making this the moment I’m back in a country with feta and puff pastry and other such wonders in its grocery stores. So beautiful, creative, and mouth-watering – kudos!
I was just at my local grocery store in Baltimore, and waiting at the puff pastry shelf for another shopper getting puff pastry with olives and feta in his basket!
This is a piece of art! Stunning!
Do you think this would work with cream cheese and jam, for a brunch recipe?
The only all butter puff pastry I can get here in Japan is 20cm x 20cm square. Roughly 8 in x 8 in. But there are 3 sheets in each pack. Should I use all 3 sheets for one layer?? I could most likely roll that out to a really larger size…. This tarte soleil is something I want to try
EA is funny–“whimpered when I saw the photos.” Are you telling me I have to have a party? Anybody over the age of around 10 months would plotz and swoon. Deb, you have reached a whole new level with this one. Would you consider working up some variations such as the one described by Christina, with amounts and any altered instructions? I’m probably not alone in hating olives. Meanwhile I’ll just stare at the picture of yours.
Whaooooo ,this looks so good and so yummy ! Do you think it will work out only with the olives or can I substitute the sundried tomatoes with anything else ? Or do 1/2 a cup of olives and only 1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes ?
Thanks
I am always in search of a good idea to break out the -good butter- homemade puff pastry! I am glad I’ve found it on your site, again! Aah, the apple mosaic tart…
This looks very nostalgic and I love your words! Especially; “…(where it is most likely to break off prematurely) and gently twist..”
Stunning! Puff pastry is so much fun to play with…this design is awesome. Happy, healthy New Year!
Ok..wowie…really, really…wowwwwie. Coming soon to my oven…and tummy! Thanks Deb!
Made it with Nutella today! It was a big hit with kids and adults!
Brilliant! Of course I had to set to work on a dessert variation: I used rich a yeasted sour cream dough, filled with “homemade nutella”- toasted almonds pureed with chocolate, confectioner’s sugar, butter and a splash of frangelico. One last thing- I made this with three layers of dough and two layers of filling. It is breathtaking! thanks for the inspiration :)
One other person was also confused about this …. the Pepperidge Farms package contains two sheets. You roll them together to form just one of the layers, right? Then two more sheets combined for the second layer? Just want to confirm. Looks beautiful and can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
Oh my Lordy Lord! Is this on my New Years wish list or what!!?? Thank you thank you Thank you !!
This is gorgeous!
Holy cow, that’s beautiful! I’m totally stealing this idea (thanks, Deb!) and using it for a gf cinnamon swirl thing. Yay!
I’m using homemade puff pastry. I’m wondering how thin each layer should be? My tarte may end up being larger than 12 inches — I want to use all of the dough.
To clarify: How thin should each layer be rolled?
Let me add another voice to the choir. . .your tarte soleil is absolutely gorgeous. I just may have to revise tomorrow’s birthday menu to include it (this would be my preference for the birthday cake). Thank you, and have a most wonderful New Year.
Stephanie & Susan … what did you decide? I have two packages of Pep Farm thawing … not sure whether to somehow combine the two squares and still make one tart with two boxes or make two smaller tarts … decisions … decisions????
Making this now…beware of the salt in the dip! Adding extra salt makes it way too salty, thanks to the already salty feta. Otherwise, I hope I can make this as beautiful as Deb’s!
My tarte is in the oven and it is very beautiful, but I have a question. A one pound box of puff pastry has two packages in it. Is one meant to use these two packages (ie. one pound of puff pastry) or two boxes of puff pastry (ie. 2 pounds…) I did the latter and my tarte is beautiful but taking much more than 30 minutes to cook through. Thanks.
I just made this with the Pepp Farms puff pastry. I just used one box and rolled the sheets out singly–one for top and one for bottom. I haven’t tasted it yet as its for tonights big New Years Eve party, but it does look like Deb’s picture :) (and smells divine!)’
Oh my, such a beautiful dish, creative, and tasty.
I think I may have overfilled it slightly. It’s pretty, but I could have used less filling.
BUT…the dip alone is worth the price of admission! It’s like savory ice cream. I am going to make this again for another party in a few weeks & take more care. Thanks Deb!
I just made this… But with some changes. For the filling, I used the walnut pesto recipe you recommended as an alternative, except I subbed toasted almonds for the walnuts. I only had one Pepperidge Farm brand package of puff pastry, so my final size was about half that of yours. Since mine already came rolled out into rectangles, I just used that shape instead of rolling it out into a circle. I still cut it into the recommended 32 rays and twisted. I just pulled it out of the oven for a party tonight, and it looks perfect!! I am not sure if I will have the time to also make the dip, we’ll see, but I will report back on the taste later!
Fun! I used one box of Pepperidge Farm. Rolled each sheet to a 10×10 square. I was going to cut a 10″ circle but I hated the thought of wasting the corners so I made a square version instead. I did 24 “rays” instead of 32 since the size is a bit smaller. My filling is carmelized onions with Swiss cheese and thyme. It looks and tastes great!
I was also thinking about caramelized onions and gruyère for this. Yum!
Accidentally bought sundried tomato bruschetta instead of sundried tomatoes. It was too sweet, so doctored it up with a ton more of garlic, walnuts, tahini, parsley. I also made a pesto with spinach, tahini, parsely, lime, walnust so will do half tomato, half spinach for seasonal colors.
Made it! Used one box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, and had enough left over dough and filling to make a nice hand-pie for the husband (so he’ll keep his fingers of the tart until time to serve it!) Added more garlic because that’s what we like. Looks amazing! Good thing I got an extra package of puff pastry, so I can experiment with a 2nd one. Thanks Deb.
Yeah this totally rocked. Totally easy to throw together last minute and make it look like you slaved over something. I had a pepperidge farm brand but only wanted to test out the recipe on the family (of four) so took one sheet, cut it in half. To get it to roll into an even circle, I took each of those halves and folded them to make a square shape then rolled it out and traced out a circle with a plate. For the filling, I used a cinnamon sugar-butter mix. The end result was a mini version that was gobbled up immediately. Totally awesome! So many potential variations. Thank you thank you!
Thanks to you, our New Year’s Eve Tarte Soleil is assembled and happily baking away in the oven. Your recipe, the instructions (thank you for every helpful detail), the photos, this time of year and the thought of bringing this splendid dish to a cocktail party tonight at a friend’s house tipped me over the edge from forever Deb blog lurker and catapulted me into Just Do It Now Grandma. I have been a Smitten Kitchen reader for a long, long time, I read your blog the way a child would read a treasured author’s next book, but this is my first roll up my sleeves and do it moment. As the grandmother of a 2 year old, I rarely have time to bake (says she to the mother of a young boy and an infant oy vey), but beloved grandson is at his other grandparent’s house for the holidays, so I dove right into this recipe. It’s GORGEOUS! It’s going to be delicious, I just know it!
Note: I used a 1 pound box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry because it comes with two individual 1/2 pound square sheets of pastry. Rolling each sheet out seemed to work pretty well for me in assembling the beautiful tart. I used the scraps of leftover pastry to try out different fillings – pesto, artichoke tapenade. I am sure it would be delicious just plain, but your original filling is so sunny, I think it’s perfect. I also sharpened a knife to make perfect cuts – having a good sharp knife and a big cookie sheet for baking it helps.
And, since this is my first (and maybe only) post, let me thank you now, thank you for all your writing, your endearing, humble sense of humor and your warm sense of the human condition. Because of you, we are a community of better people. You are a treasure, a gift to all of us. May you have the Happiest of New Years, and peace, health and joy be with you and your family.
Adding a second note that the salt in the dip for all but the least salty feta is possibly entirely unnecessary — I ended up adding extra cream cheese to account for how salty it was.
I’m also curious about whether baking the tarte in a rimless dish, like your pizza maker, allows for more even browning. Mine, baked in a standard sheet pan, was browned on the tallest surfaces but remained a little pale (though still delicious) in crevices.
Making it again tomorrow for a party, actually — going to try baking it on an upside-down baking sheet!
Love this recipe and a definite keeper! I brought it to a New Year’s party. I didn’t realize the party was catered (caviar, lamb, sushi, the works) and this dish was a huge hit. I was shy to bring it (new neighbors), but everyone loved it. They were stunned at the presentation and asked if I was a chef. I said, “No. I found this recipe on my favorite Web site and I can follow directions.” I’ve never worked with puff pastry and found the cutting and twisting a challenge for me. In the end it all worked out and the result was stunning. I omitted the garlic and sesame seeds because I didn’t have it on hand. I would have taken the extra dip home, but then I watched some guy TRIPPLE DIP! It was that good! Another keeper Deb!
Made this last night for my NYE party-followed recipe exactly. Everyone was impressed not only with presentation, but the taste was fab! Gonna make another today for the next gathering….hmmm, should I try a sweet version?
I made this for our small New Year’s Eve party. It was delicious and more than one person was surprised that I actually made it myself–it really looks like something from a specialty bakery. Love the feta dip too! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Made these this morning!! A few notes: I agree 100% about the dip being too salty- I, too, had to cut it with much more creat cheese and olive oil to make it palatable. That being said it is to DIE for. I made these (one as written, the second with a spinach/artichoke filling) on two round pizza stones covered in parchment at 375, having worked with puff pastry before it didn’t brown properly at 350. My only other note is that the oil in the sundried tomato version began to seep out as opposed to the spinach one which had far less oil so I will probably eliminate the added oil in the tomato version next time. All that said they are beautiful and delicious!!!!
I just made something similar for my family’s Christmas dinner, but I used a quick dough with milk and sour cream. I made it two days ahead and it was SO dry. Should have used puff pastry!
I made this last night and it was delicious but didn’t look nearly as nice as the photo which was disappointing. My puff pastry puffed too much, especially at the ends and the filling seeped out of the edges and it just looked a bit messy. I will make it again and try to pinch the ends together more. I also read every comment before I started but then forgot the warnings about the salt in the whipped feta when I made it so the dip was a little salty. All that said it was very tasty, my guests loved it and I will definitely make it again.
This was wonderful and really very easy! I used scissors to make the cuts and it worked like a breeze – lots of dip left over so I guess I’ll have to make another one ;)
I made this for New Year’s Day and it was a huge hit! The family has already informed me that they expect I will make this for every get-together. My sun-dried tomatoes weren’t packed in oil and we didn’t miss the extra oil. A little left-over grated Parmesan I had on hand made its way into the tapenade and was a tasty addition. The dip was to die for and we used the extra for raw veggies. This is the BEST new recipe I’ve tried in the last year. Thanks, Deb!
Thanks for another great recipe. I made this to take to a friends house in Mallorca. It looks great, was easy to do and it went down so well…local Mallorcans are very biased to like anything olive based anyway. Apart from the hilarious and nearly fatal moment when the fresh baked cirque de soleil fell onto the floor from the back seat of the car, (as apparently I was driving too fast on the back lane, cough)…but it even survived in tact and I swore the husband to secrecy,so ended up a success despite all odds. Here easy to buy 230g puff pastry rounds at supermarkets, about 10 inches across, so made it even easier. Can’t wait to try with a different twist, pesto, or gruyere and parmesan. The dip makes a generous amount, but loved too.
This was super tasty! I made it for some friends to come over and meet my new baby (I developed an intense love for sun-dried tomatoes during pregnancy) and they scraped every last bit off the parchment paper. I sprinkled chopped almonds on top instead, since I didn’t have sesame seeds. I will make this again for sure. Thank you!
Confession #1: The main reason I am super excited to make this recipe is because I want to eat most of it myself. Confession #2: For years I’ve tried to like both feta cheese and goat cheese, but I just don’t. What would you recommend as a substitute for the feta in this recipe? Deb? Anyone?
Thanks, Deb. When your site was down I was in minor panic mode this past week–such is my reliance on you! HNY to you and all the Perelmans!
O.k., can I tell you I’ve been waiting for you to audition a home-made puff pastry? Ridiculous of course to ask of a mother of small children…so ignore this please.
Final two things–just a thanks to you; you’ve made my life more gracious with your recipes and kitchen wisdom;
–a friend of mine just got engaged and turned to me for cooking advice. I told her to start reading your blog! That’s how I earned my reputation as a great cook.
OMG I just went down the exact same rabbit hole looking at these things online. Neither myself nor my mother had heard of tarte soleil before! I will be making this pronto.
Genuis! Tomorrow is Epiphany, which in France is celebrated with a Galette des rois – a puff pastry tart filled with frangipane and small trinket hidden inside. I’m thinking a happy marriage of the two might be in order :)
it looks so delicous i can’t believe u r my bakeryking!
so nice the pics an the receipe – i will make for my familie.
Thanks for sharing
xoxo netzchen
i love you
I will so make this next time we have company – can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe.
Your kids are absolutely beautiful!
Apologies for the comment delay; fell very far behind with the weekend downtime and still catching up.
Re, if your package has two sheets — I suppose different brands are packed differently but my 1 pound boxes had 1 package in each; I hadn’t even realized there were other ways! You could roll them together into something larger, or make two half-sized tarts.
Re, the salt in the whipped feta — I can see (now) how this would be a problem. I used a pretty creamy, mild Bulgarian feta that’s our favorite but forgot that most other fetas are more salty. Will make a note; apologies to anyone who found it inedible. (And here I thought Ina, whose recipe that is, was infallible!)
BS — Mine was perhaps 1/8-1/4-inch thick, i.e. a normal thin thickness.
Pretzel version — I’m pretty much dead at the thought of this, no matter how hackneyed that phrase is. I can’t believe my brain didn’t go there. Someone people make it and tell us about it?
If you haven’t defrosted your puffed pastry — I’d leave it out for 15 to 20 at room temperature and then gently roll it, just a little at a time, avoiding cracks. I haven’t done this with puffed pastry, but I have with too-cold cookie dough and the like and hope it would work.
Browning — It could be the baking pan, or you might just give it a few minutes extra. The color largely will come from the egg wash; without it, it will taste the same but it will be hard to get glossy and bronzed without overbaking it.
Trevor — No way! Thanks for the heads up.
FYI…for those wanting a sweet bread version….King Arthur Flour has it… :) Too bad my family wouldnt’ let me try it for Christmas! Scrooges!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2015/12/08/cinnamon-star-bread/
Hi Deb, this looks great!
I’m not a huge fan of olives but everything about this recipe calls to me. Any suggestions/ideas for an olive alternative/substitute?
Deb, I made this for NYE and it was probably one of my favorite recipes of yours that was quick, easy, tasty, and stunning! I used 1.5 pounds total (3 half-pound sheets)– TJ’s puff pastry comes in a 1lb box containing two sheets, so I rolled 1.5 sheets together to get it just big enough for a 12 in circle. I used crumbled feta rather than block feta, and while I’m normally incredibly sensitive to salt levels, I found it salty but not overly so. Not sure if this is because other block fetas are in a bit of brine? Anyway, thanks for the awesome recipe!
Caroline — I made other ingredient suggestions in the headnotes.
I made this for our NYE party and it was beautiful and delicious. So quick and easy, too. I used Pepperidge Farms puff pastry and used the two sheets inside a box to make one tart. The sheets unroll out of the box to about 11 inches, so I just rolled them a smidge and didn’t worry about the exact dimensions. The possibilities for filling this are endless and it was fun to pull off and eat.
This is so spectacular! I plan on making this for my coworkers for a special pick-me-up in February – once they are less stringent about their New Year’s healthy eating plans ;) Is that bad of me? Too bad. They will totally appreciate this :)
I can’t wait to make this as listed with your delicious ingredients, but I did make as a dessert. I used several rugelach recipes to develop a chocolate walnut filling (no cream cheese). It was so beautiful and delicious. Every bit gone! Thank you.
I’m thinking to use this method for babka!+
Any thoughts?
I have zero clue how to pronounce that but I sure do want to try making it!
@Margaret, comment 140 – would you mind sharing the chocolate/walnut filling recipe? I’m not good at coming up with the right proportions for ingredients and that filling is the kind I would want to use. :)
Goodness this is stunning! I feel a little guilty I’m the only one in the house who loves olives, but then I won’t have to share ;)
Magnificent!
As for the advanced mathematics, it’s a bonus that none are required to make the tart, especially given the cogent and clear instructions. However, the resulting pattern in the photo of the finished product reminded me not so much of the sun, but rather the seed head in a sunflower. As it happens, the pattern in the seed head follows the Fibonacci sequence, as do many other patterns in nature.
At the URL I have given (not my website) click on the Seed heads link to see how this applies to the sunflower – and how the pattern is reflected in the tart.
Hi Deb, thanks for the advice re: making it in advance. I’ve never made anything like this so can you please advise whether it would be ok to warm up 24 hours later?
Thanks,
Rach
I just made this to bring to a dinner party as the hostess asked me to bring an appetizer….I almost feel like a show off arriving with this beauty!
As for those who can’t get DuFour ( I was too lazy to drive to Whole Foods). I used 3 sheets of Pepperidge Farm…1/1/2 for each piece and it worked out just fine, made a generous 12″ tarte and no seams were visible. Next time I’ll only use one sheet for each piece if there are 6 people or less.
I made a sweet version of this today. So easy and looked so fantastic!! Thank you so much for the inspiration.
The puff pastry I bought was in smaller sheets, so I made three layers (for the Australians, I used normal puff pastry sheets and cut the corners off to make it round).
For the filling I mixed together cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, a little ground ginger, honey and a couple of spoons of butter. Will try this again using a nut mix as well (like baklava)!!
It was fantastic for a picnic I went to. It did want to burn on the bottom so I turned the temperature down a little (the melted butter/sugar mix came out a little).
Spectacular! I doubted your “it’s easy” remarks, but you were spot on! I made this exactly by the instructions and it came out fantastic! I’ve made at least 40 recipes of your site and this one goes in my favorites (along with red kidney bean curry and spiced up brownies). The dip was still too salty, so I cut it with about 1/2 cup sour cream. Perfect!
This sounds like it’d be great with muhammara (pomegranate molasses/roasted red pepper/walnut paste). That’s actually what I thought the brick-red pesto spread was at first!!
Dipped in labneh or drizzled with tahini … mmmmm.
Mark — What a pleasing thing to read about. Thank you!
This is beautiful! I had to try it as soon as possible and it tasted amazing! The bottom was a bit soggy though, and the tips of the twists were also a bit soft. Should I perhaps leave in the oven a bit longer? I would very much appreciate any tips for crunchier puff pastry.
Also, just to say thank you so much for your blog! I really enjoy reading your posts and always learn new tips. I have developed a new-found love for cooking through the recipes you post. Thank you!
This spectacular creation immediately caught my eye and I have shared the recipe with many friends already. I made it for our holiday block party and it was a huge success. Deb, your recommendations regarding preparation are dead on. It makes an absolutely spectacular presentation and I can’t wait to vary the fillings and dipping sauce. Thank you so much for a blue ribbon recipe I’m sure I’ll use until I take my last bite! ;)
Great recipe! I made this and froze after twisting. I brushed with egg and sprinkled with sesame seeds before baking. It was perfect!
OMG, the Pepperidge Farms pastry is too small!
(Rolled it out)
Oh Heavens, I have to keep popping it back in the freezer!
Oh darn! some of the joins are splitting!
Son of a gun, what was I thinking!
Oh.
It’s amazing!
Oh.
I pulled it off – okay, you promised it could be done easilt and ready in an hour.
Oh, my Book Club is going to go nuts over this.
Thanks, Deb.
I made this for our annual joint men’s/women’s book club and it was spectacular! I have to say I have had some bad experiences with puff pastry in the past and when I discovered that my pastry had two packages in the one pound box, I began thinking about what I would bring once this failed. I used just the one pound of pastry and rolled each half into a 12 inch circle with no problem. Everything The result was indeed beautiful in both taste and appearance. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe.
I haven’t read all the comments, so if someone has already linked this, my apologies for redundancy. But after I read the post, I thought of this recipe I saw several months ago. Have you seen this? Have you tried it? I have the butter to do so, but haven’t made the effort yet. Thought it might surpass the defour brand and save you some money. (That stuff is pricey!) Anyway, just thought I’d link it in case someone else hasnt.
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/recipes/cakes-tarts/rough-puff-quick-easy-puff-pastry-recipe/
I made two of these last night for a party and everyone went NUTS! I don’t think a single person left without asking how on earth I had done the twists. Minds. Blown. :) And to think it requires no work at all (one of the versions I made was with store-bought pesto, so practically no preparation involved!). Thanks for another amazing recipe!
After making more than 100 SK recipes over the last quasi-decade and being consistently delighted with the results, I confess that I found this one a bit underwhelming. It is gorgeous and was incredibly impressive coming out of the oven for a party over the weekend, but I thought it was a little blah in flavor. I used the DuFour puff pastry, knowing the endeavor was going to be spendy. But I thought the taste to cost ratio was not worth it. Perhaps I’m cheap. However, I want to go swimming in a vat of the dip and never climb out.
Super Bowl party here I come!!!
I just rolled dough and filled. Used one box of Peppridge Farms, rolled each sheet out and was able to get a 12” circle out of each. Used my corners to make some bites for the hubby. Dip is salty (I should have paid more attention when buying my feta) so I’ll add some more cream cheese. Can’t wait to cut and bake in a couple hours! Thanks for the recipe!
I just rolled dough and filled. Used one box of Peppridge Farms, rolled each sheet out and was able to get a 12” circle out of each. Used my corners to make some bites for the hubby. Dip is salty (I should have paid more attention when buying my feta) so I’ll add some more cream cheese. Can’t wait to cut and bake in a couple hours! Thanks for the recipe!
Baked it and added rest of cream cheese block. Came out fantastic!!
I’m confused on the puff pastry. My packages are 17 oz each but contain two dough “slabs.” Am I supposed to use two slabs for the bottom (pressing them together) & two for the top? Or just one for each? If I do just one for each, I will have only used 17 oz in all, which is only 1/2 of what you call for.
Thanks so much
Sorry Deb – I just found the answer to my question in the comments above so ignore this. Sorry!
This is the easiest recipe ever with the best presentation. We made a large one with our pesto and from the scraps I managed a small one with a chocolate-nut mixture (finely ground). They were both so fun and easy to make and really yummy. Thanks!
I made this for a circle supper potluck last night– 8 of us devoured every scrap! I did have a little feta dip left over. I plan to make another batch of the filling this week to use with the scraps of puff pasty– perhaps just a rectangle, spread with the filling and rolled up jelly-roll style then cut in slices? I’m sure I can find a use for any left over tapenade!
Any suggestions of what to do with the leftover whipped feta? For some reason I have a lot ;)
Julie – I used the leftover whipped feta as a delicious dip for sliced pears, apples and chips. I also think it would be delicious in scrambled eggs or an omelet, or spread on toast by itself or as a sandwich layer with greens?
This looks awesome! Do you think I could bake it with the cheese already inside? Any suggestions on which cheese to go for (maybe the deep in a different version) or how to modify it easily? Thanks for another great recipe!
Deb, when I made mine, the ‘rays’ of the sun stuck together, and I had to cut them with a knife after baking. I have some theories on why this happened, could pick the ‘most likely culprit’?
1. I used a pesto+gouda paste. Could the cheese have melted into one another?
2. Did I maybe not twist the rays often enough?
3. I prepped the whole thing the night before, took it out in the morning and left it for an hour, egg washed it, then baked it. Was that it?
4. I had some egg wash left, should I have used it all?
It tasted great and I got loads of compliments on it, so thank you for yet another fab recipe!
Munich — It could have been any of the above! I had a few stick a little, but I didn’t have a lot of cheese in mine so it wasn’t hard to pull them apart. Maybe one or two I used a thin knife.
Yonit — I think so, the biggest concern would be a greater tendency to either leak or stick the rays together. Would taste wonderful, though.
Making this tomorrow for a dinner party at my home in Haida Gwaii! Susan Musgrave’s cookbook really is a thing of beauty. Come visit us any time :)
Deb, I’m missing something – what are the green leaves in the food processor and sprinkled over the finished product? Fresh oregano? I’m fixing to make this for the weekend and just want to make sure I have everything. First time using Dafour, which made this a pricey appetizer, but it’s the mister’s birthday, so I figured it was only right to splurge!
Leah — Definitely a splurge! But it’s so good. I mentioned in the headnotes “I added 1 tablespoon parsley leaves to my filling for color, but as is barely noticeable and added little flavor, you can absolutely skip it.” I.e. you’ll be fine without it.
Ahh! Thank you – I’ll claim sleep-deprivation.
(Dufour, not Dafour [shakes fist at careless typo!])
I have made my own puff pastry, and tomorrow am making this beauty! I tried to read all the comments but may have missed an answer to this question – has anyone tried making this and then freezing it raw, and baking from frozen the following morning? If so, any tips? I will share how I get on, will freeze overnight and bake Sun morning for a big party, can’t wait to see how it comes out :-)
Update – it was SO easy to prep this in advance, freeze raw, then add the egg wash and bake the following day. It still only took 30 mins from frozen at about 190c. What a great idea, everyone loved it, thanks Deb :-)
I have made this several times. It always gets a great reception. Is easy to do (although not fast) and looks great. I haven’t tried any variations on the filling yet. I have assembled it the day before, left it in the fridge and cooked just before needing to serve.
Oh thank you for that fantastic tip! I really appreciate it! 🤗
Très jolie cette tarte soleil! Fine idea for a summer meal! Merci!
Hi Deb – this is beautiful! I’m planning to make it later this week, but wanted to confirm something first – did you buy two packages of Dufour puff pastry to make this recipe?
Cheers!
We made this in the morning and kept it a room temperature. In the evening when we served it, we did not reheat it and wished we did. The crust loss it’s crunch.
The following day we heated up the leftovers and decided to brush on some garlic butter, it was amazing!!! With and without the feta dip it was delicious! . The crust had that flaky crunch we missed out on the night before. I am guessing if we would of heated up even with out the garlic butter the crust would have rejuvenated as it should have been. So yes I would make it again ahead of time but be sure to reheat when ready to serve!
Deb,
Did you have a serving platter you used(or a recommendation)? I made this last night to rave reviews(and changed nothing!) but I only had a 10 inch plate. I keep thinking it would be better if I had made the full 12 inch tart.
I tend to scrounge up stuff on sale (I always buy plain white because I’m a bore and also prefer the food to shine) at Crate and Barrel or the like. I mean, I know there are many amazing artisans making stunning dishes but I can’t handle the stress of paying a lot (at this point in my life) for something not dishwasher safe that a kid will probably drop. Or me, I’m basically the klutziest person in this family.
I’m aware this comment was from a long while ago, but I’ve made this a few times and just slide it onto a wooden pizza peel for serving–looks quite impressive and the handle makes it super easy to move to wherever it needs to go!
Made this with your all butter pie crust and a walnut/arugula/basil pesto and it was a huge holiday party hit! (Imagine nice little green stripped nibbles.) The pie crust took closer to an hour to cook through and brown. Highly recommend!
Wow, I had never thought of that. Do you have a pic? I’d love to see how it looks. Was it too crisp? Thanks for the feedback; I’m glad it was a hit.
I have made this a few times with various fillings (pesto, nutella, just parm and herbs) and it’s always beautiful!
Hi Deb,
If I’m using a puff pastry that has 2 sheets in a box, am I layering the sheets on top of each other and rolling them together to make a thicker layer and the using 2 more sheets rolled together for the top? Or it is one sheet for the top and one for the bottom?
How much does the package weigh?
Hello! I am making this tomorrow and have the same question. The box weighs 17 oz but has 2 sheets inside. What do you recommend?
You can halve the filling and spread it between the two sheets, they’ll just be smaller, I’d expect.
I love all of your recipes, but this one is screaming New Years Eve at me! How would you do this ahead of time for the freezer? Would you freeze it assembled and unbaked?
I’d freeze it assembled and unbaked.
Hi Deb,
This recipe caught my eye on SmittenKitchen completely by chance (it’s so pretty!) and now I’m determined to make this for the next soirée at our little place in Paris. I’m Canadian and I’ve only been living here for three years, so I’m wondering: would you know what the French might use as an equivalent to cream cheese? I’m assuming that there is one, since this is a French recipe, but I’m not sure where to start and, as you know, the cheese aisles at most supermarkets here slightly overwhelming and extremely distracting, and I wouldn’t dare ask a Maître Fromager for cream cheese for fear of offending his prideful selection of France’s finest…. Help!
(P.S. I love SmittenKitchen. Thank you for your reliable recipes, unfailing sense of humour, and small kitchen tricks. Bisous from Paris!)
Wow. That is just beautiful. I too have recognized the magic of puff pastry and how quickly you can make something that looks and feels fancy without really breaking a sweat. I’m gonna have to give this a go and maybe monkey around with fillings a bit. This could be very, very fun.
Wow, that looks like what I need -tonight- :-)!
But more seriously quenelles are a pain, yes, but nothing could be easier than souffle – make a bechamel, throw some stuff in it, whip your egg whites and stick it in the oven. A 6-year-old could do this. All you need is a fairly reliable oven :-), and to resist the temptation to peek.
So I had a contretemps with this plan- my local store only had puff pastry cups. I made sweet potatoes. But it’s just as well because someone else brought the tapenade sunshine, and yes it was as beautiful and delicious as I’d hoped 😀
Wow , beautiful !! Looks delicious too . I’m going to include it in my Christmas spread! I hope it comes out as nice.
When are you planning to write a new cookbook? I love your first one, it is all splattered & highlighted , sign of a good one !!
Happy Holidays!
Gorgeous! I really look forward to making this.
Question: Could this be adapted to make it a dessert simply by changing the filling and sauce? Ideas? Suggestions?
Thank you.
I have made this a couple of times. It is actually rather easy to put together and beautiful out of the oven. Delicious, too!
Thank you for this recipe! It looks amazing. Can I make it with crescent rolls?
This is my solstice potluck go-to! Nutella-filled in the oven now to celebrate winter’s arrival. Summer solstice tart de sole was pesto to celebrate summer. Thank you for this versatile recipe! Always impresses but it’s wicked easy.
I made this as an appetizer on Xmas eve and now I’m doing it again for NY´s eve. This dish was a hit in my family even the teenagers ! It is easier to make than it looks (I was sure all my strands would break but they are not that delicate). The only thing is that the feta was indeed plenty salty and any salt addition would have ruined the dish (good thing I read carefully for once). Also, I decided to use the small food processor for the tapenade because there just was not enough for the large one. Thank you !
I made this for New Year’s Eve and it wasn’t too hard at all. In fact, we decided to make a Nutella/marshmallow one as well. One note with the dip–use a good quality olive oil. I grabbed the wrong one (cooking one) and didn’t like the taste. I was able to salvage with addition of good quality olive oil to drown out the bad taste of the cheap olive oil. I won’t make that mistake again!
Definitely a statement appetizer! This was my first foray into baking with puff pastry and I am sold. The recipe is really quite easy, though do allow yourself plenty of time. I’ve used a single package (18.3 oz) of Trader Joe’s puff pastry that had two sheets of pastry in it. I was still able to make a 12 inch sun and it still turned out great. The dip is great and makes much more than my guests ever eat. If I’m not going to be able to use the leftovers I’ve started making a half recipe of that.
Have’t seen anything so artistically done tarte in my entire life. This is second to none but only Mother nature’s work of art that we get to see on day today basis out in the nature. Kodos to the creator of this ‘one of a kind’ delicacy.
I made this for NYE and it was a hit, even among those who don’t love olives. And it’s just so pretty!
I used 1 package (2 sheets) of Trader Joe’s puff pasty and had no trouble making each of the sheets into a 12 inch circle. we had a few leftover the next day that we reheated in the toaster oven. Not quite as crisp, but it didn’t stop us from finishing it off.
Hmmmm. Just discovered no lemon to squeeze for the dip! Ideas? A glurg of vinegar?
Yes, vinegar.
Hi Deb: Do you think this would work with “rough” puff pastry?
I made this using your mushroom pate recipe as filling. Paired very well with feta dip recommended here. A huge hit and just as pretty as yours thanks to your detailed instructions.
I have made variations of this several times for holiday dinners and parties. It always gets tons of compliments and is relatively easy to do. My variations include:
Sundried Tomatoes pureed with Pesto. Made the spread/dip with goat cheese instead of feta, just cut back on the olive oil.
Walnut I’aillade (crushed walnuts with walnut oil, garlic and parsley)
Roasted Garlic pureed with Parmesan, with just the cream cheese and chives in the dip
Roasted Shallots with grated swiss
As for a chocolate version, most options mentioned (like Nutella) I found to loose and wet to work well. The best chocolate version used the chocolate filling from Deb’s Babka, with some additional chopped dark chocolate.
I’ve used attractive wood cutting boards, a pizza peel and a doily covered pizza pan for presentation. One thing I have noticed is that you’ll need a platter, plate or surface the same size as the rounds of pastry you start with, since the twisting shortens the “rays” and makes the whole thing smaller. For example, I use a favorite Fiestaware pizza platter to cut the pastry rounds, and the finished pastry exactly fits on the same platter.
My advice…play with it. You almost can’t go wrong.
once i made this and forgot the second layer of pastry, cutting and twisting the single layer. it was just fine.
I’m thinking about making this for a party. Can I freeze it assembled and unbaked then put it in the oven right from the freezer?
Deb indicates above that she would freeze before baking. Interested if you did this how it turned out.
Ohhhhh the flavor! The texture! This is so divine! I came across it in Pinterest and had to rush right out for the ingredients! I have to practice on the twisting, but who cares if it isn’t perfect?! The dip is really unique also! Thanks so much for sharing! I’ve signed up for your website for sure!
Made this for a neighborhood get together tonight and it was a great success. Thank you!
Walked into the birthday party, platter taken out of my hands, unwrapped and put on the table, and the hoards descended. Although I was an hour late due to traffic, and there were lots of other dishes offered, this beauty was gone in minutes. I barely got to taste one tiny sliver before the platter was empty! Rave reviews all around, sweeping bows from the party girl. Guess it was a hit!!
I made a different filling….made a tapenade of mixed mushrooms, green olives, garlic, olive oil…some other stuff, whirred it all together in the food processor to a small chunky paste and spread that over the puff pastry. I could have processed it a little further to a smaller grind, as it was a bit tricky to twist the ropes with the chunkier filling, but when cooked and done it didn’t matter….it still looked stunning…;>)
Thanks for another fun recipe!
Thanks Deb!
I made this about a year ago – I’m not a fan of olives, so I created my own filling of a caramelized onion mixture with goat cheese. The tarte was pretty, but the filling was just OK, not great.
I want to make it again for a housewarming party, and I saw your note about using a garlic herb paste as the filling. How would you make it? Would you roast the garlic? What herbs would go into this?
I made this tarte tonight as a trial run for book club Monday night. It was delicious and with your clear steps easy to follow. I didn’t plan this – but now realize that I’m serving this tarte, your hummus topped with cucumbers and tomatoes, greek meatballs, and the marbled banana & chocolate loaf from your site. Essentially it’s a SmittenKitchen book club evening. Thanks Deb.
This looks INCREDIBLE. If I hate olives, do you have a recommendation for a substitution? Thanks!
I made mine with re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes. Fabulous and gobb;ed up before any other appetizers!
I could totally see this made with ‘nduja instead of tapenade.
Hi Deb! This is so amazing! I was hoping to Indianide the filling (with baingan bharta) and make it for my daughter’s pre-school holiday lunch tomorrow. However, last minute grocery shopping, I could only find phyllo sheets. Any tips on how to achieve similar pull-apart nature? Thanks much!
I guess I’m confused re: the pastry portion. You said you used 2 lbs of puff pastry. I bought 2 packages (1 lb each) but in each package is 2 sheets, so there’s 4 sheets total. Do you just press/layer two sheets together, spread the filling, and press the other two sheets on top? Does that make sense?
Thanks!
Not deb here, but saw your comment. I’ve made this many times with one package of pepperige farms and Trader Joe’s puff pastry. Both are about 17.? ounces. One sheet for the top the other for the bottom. I still use the full filling amount. It doesn’t feel skimpy and I can still make it the size deb mentions. Enjoy!
Okay so just one package total. This is for Christmas Eve… since
I have 2 packages, I suppose I could do a test run tonight! 🤪 thank you!!
Made it! Used the Pepperidge Farms brand, and one package (2 sheets) was just fine when rolled out to a 12”’size. Used strawberry preserves… a little sweet for my taste- I think I used too much. But so easy! Will def make this for Christmas Eve, with something else inside!
Yay and Congrats! I really do love the sundries tomato/olive filling in deb’s original recipe – so that’s what I would vote for for Christmas Eve!
I made this for a winter solstice party last night! Tried swirling the filling with a green arugula pesto to make it even more festive. Would definitely advise not putting the filling on too thick because it will leak out the sides while you are cutting. I also used yogurt instead of cream cheese for the dip which wasn’t a good idea — little too runny. Thanks for the wonderful new technique !
That is one amazingly versatile recipe. It is awesome!! Making this ASAP.
I took this to a Christmas open house party last night and it was quite the hit. I used Zatar for the sprinkle on top. Also, it was done a couple hours in advance so I kept in the warming drawer on low. Worked great
This is beautiful! But I don’t like olives. What do you suggest instead?
Skip them or use more sundried tomatoes. Don’t think this will taste olive-y, though, they provide salt and acid here.
This was fabulous and falls squarely into the category of things that are delicious, beautiful, AND look fancier than they actually are to pull off. Really delicious. I cheated and used tapenade off the Whole Foods olive bar (because, toddlers) and it worked great. Another winner, Deb!
Hey all, this is so amazing. I used a four ounce French mustard glass for the middle- it was perfect. A little tricky for me to twist but my boyfriend helped.
To the braintrust:
I want to do this again this year but with gyro meat. Any suggestions for veggies for padding out the gyro meat? Or a great dipping sauce? Thanks!
Made this Christmas night. It was delicious even though the pastry did not fully cook to be flaky. It was nice and brown though so we thought it was done and took it out.
Any suggestions on what we might have done wrong?
I imagine if it browned but was not cooked through that perhaps your oven runs a little hot. I would try it at 325 degrees and see if that turns out better. And invest in an oven thermometer! My oven tells me that the preheat cycle is complete well before it has actually come to temp. The thermometer is a life (meal) saver.
This was delightful and it looks as impressive in person as in the picture! I look forward to making it with all kinds of fillings and taking no it to every part I’m invited to so folks will ooh and ahhh. 😂
Quick Question: I plan on making this and then bringing it to a New Year’s Eve party tomorrow night. The party is about 20 minutes from my house. Will I have to reheat this once there or if I throw some foil over it do you think it will be fine after the drive?
Thanks in advance!
Curious what you ended up doing and how it worked
All went well until about 15 minutes into the baking, when the oil from the filling began leaking out. I thought the dish would be an epic fail. However, it turned out beautifully — both in appearance and taste. Unfortunately, though, my oven is a mess. Word to the wise — bake it on a rimmed sheet.
I just made this as a trial run, and the tarte was a hit! I used a bench scraper to cut the rays. Nice straight lines, and it was long enough to nestle up to the glass in the middle of the pastry sheet and cut to the edge without fear of cutting through the parchment paper.
I’m sure it’s the feta I used (domestic), but even without adding additional salt, it was too salty. The more I tried doctoring it, the worse I made it. I’m going to taste the remaining dip tomorrow to see if it’s mellowed with age. I will try to find the Bulgarian feta Deb uses for my next attempt.
Trader Joe’s ha a fantastic Feta from Israel, it’s called Pastures of Eden and it’s all I buy since the middle eastern market I used to buy Bulgarian Feta from went out of business. It’s really good Feta for those who like Bulgarian Feta! I think so anyway.
I made this today and it came out great – I made the tapenade & the dip yesterday and did the rest earlier today. I cooked it earlier in the day & reheated it before my company came & it was delicious! I used the same Lodge pizza pan lined with parchment paper to cook. So pretty – I posted a pic on IG
I made this for a Boxing Day party and it was the star of the evening! A big hit.
Not having a lot of experience with puff pastry, I didn’t roll the dough as thin as I might next time around. Also, I would probably leave out the added oil for the filling. I had to do a little sopping up of oil during the baking process.
This recipe will be revisited annually. :-)
Just made this for the first time yesterday for a New Year’s Day get together with closest friends. Subbed in sundried tomato pesto for the olives but otherwise followed scrupulously to amazing result. Everyone Oooh-ed and Aaaah-ed and then devoured like ravenous wolverines before any of the other apps were touched. Also made your sticky toffee pudding for dessert. It was Smitten Kitchen kinda New Year and boy was it stinkin’ tasty. Thanks for adding such swank to my baking game, Deb. XXOO
I made this recipe for Christmas Eve and it was DELICIOUS! It looks so fancy but was a breeze to put together :)
Isn’t that the truth? Love this recipe!
Made this today for a potluck. Even with cheap puff pastry it was fairly easy, impressive looking and tasty. Didn’t add salt to the sauce as feta was very salty. I thought it was going to look bad as my cutting got a bit wonky but it was surprisingly forgiving. Already thinking about what I could do next with this. I think some cheddar, rosemary and coarse salt would be tasty, even without a dipping sauce.
Can I make this and put it in the freezer to bake later?
I think it should be fine to do.
Deb, any suggestions if I want to make this tomorrow for a bbq on Saturday afternoon? Fully make and then reheat? Assemble and keep refrigerated, then bake on Saturday? Thanks for the help!!
I’d bake on Saturday and leave it cooling at room temperature until needed. No need to serve it warm.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I have made it several times. One thing I have found with my fan oven is that the top cooks more than the bottom, to fix this, I flip it over onto a new baking sheet half-way through which browns up both sides evenly.
I have made this tart several times now with different fillings (I am not a fan of olives in any shape or form). My favorite is goat cheese and pesto, but my second favorite is goat cheese and blackberry jam. Sure, it takes a few minutes to assemble but the reaction from your guests will make it 100% worth it. It’s a fun food to stand around and graze from.
I’m going to use/make a different filling since I am olive-averse. From your photo, it looks like you used about 1.5 cups of tapenade, but if anyone has a real measurement for the filling, I’d appreciate it!
This was really easy to make, very delicious, and super-pretty.
I used a different tapenade recipe (and went light on the olive oil to avoid leaking – thanks to the cook who offered up that tip!), as I have some sun-dried tomato haters in the family. I used a little less than one cup, and when I make this again, I’ll subtract a little more and make sure that it’s evenly distributed. The topping oozed out a bit. Whipped feta dip is not necessary, but is so good.
I purchased commercial puff pastry several times over the years and have always found it to be very disappointing and difficult to use—rips with unfolding. Also, where’s the butter? Ugh!!!!
Therefore, Julia comes to the recue. Classic puff pastry is so easy, just time consuming, however, much more satisfying.
It’s in the oven and my house smells wonderful. Thank you for the inspiration.
Susan
Thank you so much for posting the great food articles. I love reading them and don’t seem to have time to find them. I already subscribe to just a few too many food blogs! Got Smitten Kitchen Everyday for Christmas and will be curling up with a cup of coffee and making a plan!
Congrats on the Food 52 win!
Super easy to make and delicious! Well, rolling the dough out was challenging, but the rest – super easy :) I forgot the egg wash and seeds and it was still a big hit.
Hi Deb, this looks great, I’m wondering if your savory galette dough would work here-it’s always reminded of puff pastry due to its super flakiness and puffy texture. What are your thoughts?
I’ve wondered the same. It’s definitely going to be less puffy and more crisp like a dough, but doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be delicious for a party. Let me know how it goes? Pretty please?
I made this a few years ago for the New Year. It was delicious and beautiful! And
I think I may try this with dried apricots and nuts (maybe rosemary or mint) instead of the sun-dried tomatoes and oregano.
Made it as is—absolutely delish and simple to prepare! Definitely will also try other fillings and dips—perhaps a brunch version with Nutella and a raspberry sauce.
This looks fabulous…and gets me wondering whether it could be done, albeit differently, with phyllo instead of puff? Clearly it would be somewhat different, but I think it just could work…thoughts
Good luck twisting those phyllo sheets without breaking them!
This would kick some serious camping happy hour booty in a couple of weeks! 🌞
This WILL BE MADE!!!
Yum! I made this for a party tonight. I used cream cheese and blood orange marmalade that didn’t quite set. Topping with drizzled dark chocolate. Can’t wait to dig in.
I used my kitchen shears (aka poultry scissors – sharp & somewhat serrated, occasionally dusted with flour) to cut the rays and it really sped up the process. I cannot wait to bake this up!
It’s in the oven now and I can’t believe how fun it was to make…and easy! It’s so pretty, too! Bringing it to a NYE party tonight! Can’t wait to hear the oohs and ahh! Thank you for the great idea! Happy 2019!
Oh my goodness! I found this a few months back. I made two last night for a NYE party. One was mozzarella/pepperoni with a marinara dipping sauce, the other was a Greek one with spanakopita filling (no sauce). Oooh they both turned out beautiful! Thank you thank you!
I made this for a New Year’s Eve party last night. It was a hit! I want to try it with pesto now too.
I made this for a NYE’s party and it was a hit!! You weren’t kidding – so EASY.
Oh my goodness, I saw this in your Instagram thought, my god I have to make this, and went out and bought puff pastry. Had it for dinner tonight (why not?!) and it was delicious!! Thank you for bringing some sunniness to this gloomy start of 2019!!
Hey Deb,
I have a jar of sundried tomato pesto that’s about to expire. Can I use that in place of the filling your recipe suggests? Could I also use a yogurt cucumber dip I already have instead of the feta dip. I understand I’ll miss the salty flavor of the feta. I just have a lot of end of date items to use up, including puff pastry sheets, trying to fit in as many as I can in one recipe. Thanks!
I made this last night with the olive tapenade from Trader Joe’s– it was such a hit!! Also loved the feta dip, which we used in eggs the next morning. I also omitted the salt in the feta dip and I think it was perfect.
This was easy, beautiful and delicious! Brought it to a picnic at the beach and everyone was taking photos and exclaiming about the taste! I’ve tried versions with chocolate chips and dried cherries…next time I’ll put the cherries in the food processor and melt the chocolate…but it still tasted great and looked pretty good! I also made one with ground walnuts and cinnamon! Beautiful! I’ll be making another of the original recipe this weekend for a baby shower!
This is a real show stopper!
If, like me, you often entertain with a variety of finger foods, I have two suggestions for people who are making several appies and are very busy leading up to the party!
First, if you insist on making the tapenade (which I do not, as there is a wonderful Italian market I go to that has a black olive and sundries tomato tapenade that is just too delicious!) do so three of four days in advance.
Second, I find this really doesn’t need any dip whatsoever. If you have a really delicious and flavourful tapenade, it’s just guilting the lily.
But I encourage anyone to make this. Your friends will be wowed!
I made this last weekend when we had a few friends over. Mine wasn’t as big and wasn’t quite as pretty as yours, but it looked different and was a big hit, even with people who don’t feta. I will have to try this as a dessert with some chocolate spread. This one’s a keeper and so easy! Thanks!
This is so beautiful and delicious! I made the dipping sauce, but I don’t care for feta and didn’t like the sauce. It totally doesn’t need it. For the tarte itself, I made it vegan by making sure to use puff pastry without butter (Pepperidge Farm) and brushing with olive oil instead of egg wash. As others have commented, one package of Pepp Farm dough is half of what the recipe calls for, but I found it to be plenty. With double the amount, it would just be more bready. I just rolled out each of the Pepp Farm dough sheets to 12″ and cut the circles. I made this the night before and kept it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap – then baked just before serving. Worked fine. Great appetizer for a party!
The tart and filling were nice, but paired with the feta dip, it was just too salty/briney. Took this to a potluck and almost all the dip was left at the end. I would make both again, but not together.
This recipe is so versatile and the hit of the party! I make at least one for every solstice celebration – this year I made one Nutella and one with the tomato-kalamata pesto (added equal amounts of fresh basil). Everyone thinks my chef-husband is responsible for this feat of brilliant yet easy cuisine. Thanks for making me look good!
Lovely appetizer. Made this several times with this filling. I also make a version with a seasoned ricotta-spinach mixture sandwiched between 2 rounds of puff pastry. When creating the rays for this latter version, I only twist each ray once. I spread a layer of bread crumbs as insurance against any excess moisture from the well-drained spinach! The overall appearance is different as it consists of a small mound in the middle, with a larger mound ringing the perimeter. I still have scraps of pastry left over: perfect for palmers or cheese straws!
A few notes: I make my own all-butter puff pastry and split it into blocks of about 17 -18 oz. each. I find that 1 block is sufficient to roll out two rounds of 10 1/2″ to 10 3/4″ each. Makes a beautiful tarte soleil with 16 rays per tarte.
For best results, I chill the pastry every step of the way: after I roll it, after I fill it, after the egg wash, after I cut the rays, after I turn the rays. I usually pop it into the freezer prior to baking. Home made puff pastry has a different “feel” to some of the store-bought versions. I bake it at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Looks gorgeous–tastes great. I love the fact that I can do the prep a day ahead and bake the following day.
….that should read “palmiers”…….
I am thinking of an end-of-summer dessert using lemon curd, and a bowl of sweetened whipped cream as the dip. Would the curd be too strong? Should I combine it with something else?
Hi! Is it possible to make the filling a day in advance?
Thanks!
I’ve made this many times and I have made the filling a day (or 2!) in advance. Kept it in the fridge.
Wonderful, thank you!!
I definitely think so.
This was perfect. I made it on Christmas Eve, in summer, about an hour before I was due at a party. Because it’s hot I did pop it in the fridge for half an hour before cutting it and then again when I got to the party before baking it. It was SUCH a hit! So easy to make, beautiful, kid-friendly, I looked so fancy! I didn’t use the tapenade in the recipe but mixed together a pot of olive tapenade and a few heaped tablespoons of basil pesto with a bit of olive oil. Worked a treat!
I confess I did make a mini version this morning just to see if I could actually do it (I really didn’t believe it could be that easy) and that was lovely, too. The dip was divine but I added garlic and quite a lot more lemon because why not? We used the leftover dip to accompany our salads, sausages and sliders with dinner. Winner winner. Thank you!
Fabulous recipe and oh-so-easy with puff pastry dough from our local bakery. Made as the cocktail hour starter on Christmas day 2019. Used chevre crumbles and some goat yogurt to thin the feta dip for guests who can only eat sheep and goat cheese. A real hit both in taste and presentation. Will definitely make this again!
I’ve made this twice and it is truly fun to make, gives me a feeling of pride when put out on the table, and is delicious! The only thing I have to note is that in my experience the dip can be easily halved. For both parties, people really didn’t use much at all. Or maybe they did in proportion to the piece of tarte and there was still a lot left over.
This made me so popular at our neighborhood New Year’s gathering. I made the recipe as written and was so surprised by how quickly it came together. Zero fuss and positively delicious—this one’s a new tradition! Now to try it with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts…
You’ve done it again! I took this to a NYE party and everyone there was so impressed! I was nice – I shared the recipe :) It was simply delicious AND stunning to look at! Thanks so much Deb!
I also made this for NYE and it was a huge hit. I had quite a bit of leftover tomato filling and feta dip–I used each as a pizza sauce for two different pizzas. The feta sauce with corn and mozzarella was particularly tasty!
Love this recipe – I have made it a few times for parties and it is always a hit!
I use trader joe’s puffed pastry and tapenade, just to make it easy – and OMG, so good!
Hi! I was hoping to make this a day ahead and bake it before my guests came. Is it possible to do everything up until baking and then put it back in the fridge or freezer? Thanks!
Yep! I did just that, except for the egg wash, and kept it in the fridge – turned out great.
I’ve made this several times now & it’s always delicious and beautiful, but I can’t get my spokes to twist more than once; it always seems like they are about to break off if I try more–your multiple twists are so much prettier. Any tips? Thank you!
It might just be the brand; some seem stretchier than others.
This recipe showed up in my newsletter and it was just the thing to make with my 8 year old, who likes things to be fancy! She won’t eat tomatoes, so we did a box of chopped spinach sautéed with a large diced onion in olive oil/butter (we used both) and then pulsed that in the food processor to make it smooth and added 4 oz of goat cheese crumbles and salt to taste. It was twice the filling we needed, but the leftover “dip” won’t go to waste. Thanks for the inspiration – we needed something fun this year!
Just wondering if you could make several smaller (individual) tarts? Because, you know….Covid. I’m having 2 friends over for outdoor happy hour and we could each have our own little sun! Thoughts? Love your site and your writing!
Absolutely. The peskiest thing is that your puffed pastry likely comes in a square or rectangle. It might be easier to get four tiny squares out of it, vs. trying to change the shape too much.
Made this last night. I was intimidated by the recipe, but it came together easily, and cooked up very nicely. The end product was very salty though (the actual pastry, not the dip). After reading everyone else’s comments, I think I must have just put too much tapenade. (I used all of it even though my puff pastry only had a 10″ diameter.) I think I might experiment with other fillings and see what I can come up with. Loved the feta dip. I’m gonna make that for other things, such as chicken shawarma or the phenom lamb burgers with green harissa by Grace Parisi. Thanks, Deb!
Made this a day in advance, brushed with egg wash, lightly laid cling wrap over the top and popped it in the freezer. Didn’t thaw, just baked directly from frozen for 38 min. Next time I’ll add less lemon to the feta, but other than that, wouldn’t make any changes. It was just beautiful and guests raved.
I actually found a 13 X 13” broiler pan that worked—and the high-quality puff pastry, and made it for a “post-COVID” reunión. It was devoured and so beautiful! Thanks for all the tips. Half the dip amount was perfect.
hi there
looks amazing and no doubt is delicous
question-can i assemble till the egg wash and refrigerate????
Absolutely.
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for years and finally got the courage to make it for a family holiday gathering. It was a hit, looks and taste! Several family members immediately started thinking of the next occasion I could make one. I used 1 pkg Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (1 lb), made about a 10-inch pastry. I used all the filling, divided into 24 rays instead of 32 due to the smaller size. Filling quantity was just right (I added a little grated Parmesan), lots of dip left over. I’ll definitely make this again!
This was my first attempt with puff pastry and as long as I kept it cold it behaved well. I made this for NYE and it was a big hit! Thanks Deb for always dishing out delicious and reliable recipes. I am never ever afraid of a failure, which makes me willing to try something like this!
Has anyone made this with chimichurri? I’ve got a huge supply and am wondering if I drained it well, could it work as the tart filling! Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! I adore this recipe as written but am wondering if this variation could work.
I bet it would work!
Forgive me for being dense, but am I to use 2 sheets of puff pastry? Or FOUR (4) ? I’m confused here as the filling doesn’t seem like enough for 2 suns.
Made this tonight to practice for an upcoming holiday party and it was good but the middle and bottoms were a little soggy/doughy and not flaky. I baked for 35 minutes. Any suggestions on what I could do to improve? Bake longer? Higher temp?
After assembly, I put it in the freezer for about 2 hrs. Should I have put it in the fridge instead so it wasn’t thawing in the oven?
Would love to “fix” this one problem before guests arrive next week! Thank you!
Erin McDowell warns against putting shaped pie dough in the freezer to chill. She recommends a lot of chilling, but in the fridge. That may be the solution to the issue with your puff pastry.
Thanks, Deb, for an easy recipe with a “wow!” factor that even a tired cook can make on NYE! And I used my brand-new food processor (Xmas gift) as well! Recipe needed just one box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (two sheets in box); I used a 12″ cardboard cake circle for my template. Feta dip was perfect (thanks for the tip to watch the salt); the (adult) kids & I loved it but my husband, who generally isn’t a fan of feta, didn’t, so I may make a version w/ less feta & more cream cheese next time. Will poll the fam on that one. Everyone agreed that the tarte is perfect even w/o any dip, so there’s that. I’m now going to search your site for chocolate babka filling, since I defrosted two boxes of pastry & only used one; guess that means we should start 2023 with a sweet treat!
I have made this numerous times & it’s always a bit hit! I make the sundried tomato filling & the feta dip the day before. I use DuFour puff pastry & there is only 1 sheet in a box so for this brand you need to buy 2 boxes. I bake the tart earlier in the day that I am serving it & either reheat it or serve it at room temp. – either way is very good!
Wow! Finally made it today. Very easy to make, absolutely fabulous presentation, looks just like yours, Deb! If I may say so myself 😊
Already making plans to make it with mushroom druxel or sweet version with poppy seeds!
Thank you for wondering recipes that work and turn out the way you make them!
Made this for a workplace baking competition and it won! I added a bit of extra olive. The feta dip is a must. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this over the weekend to bring to a friend’s party- it was a huge hit! It was easy to make, I called it a “food craft project”. I added a couple TBSP of shallot to the tapenade and used fresh rosemary. Absolutely delicious. My friend can’t have cow’s dairy so I used all sheep’s milk feta (no cream cheese) and added a good handful of parsley to the dip which made it very pretty and yummy. Already planning to make this again for an upcoming holiday thing. Thanks again for a winner Deb!
I understand from your replies that this can be made in advance and frozen uncooked. But then does it go right in the oven, or do you thaw first??
You can pop it in the fridge for a few hours before baking, if you have time. It can improve the puff. Otherwise, from frozen is usually fine.
I have lately been making this with a sautéed mushroom, onion, zatar and pistachio mix for those that are allergic to dairy and tree nuts. It’s a great basic recipe for any filling and looks so fancy.
I hate feta, but this is so pretty! Has anyone made this with one thing besides feta? Or is it really only good with stinky cheeses?
Great instructions. I tried to make something from this before Christmas (wreath not sun!) and they said to cut it all and twist and then transfer to baking sheet! I ended up with a mess! A tasty mess which I made into twists.
Made this for my mom’s 90th birthday open house, and it was terrific – especially with that feta dip! Plus it was very fun to make. Thanks Deb!