Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust

Every once in a while, I love to enjoy a Sunday Brunch Buffet with my family.  The Golf Club House where my hubby and I tied the knot (years ago) offers a fabulous Live Jazz Sunday Champagne Bruch.  The quality of the food is great and the price is reasonable.  It’s only a few blocks away from where we live now.  The problem is, I tend to eat a lot more than I should at the buffet!  Don’t you want to try a little bit of everything they offer?  Well, even with a small bite of every dish, it’s still over my calories intake limits, especially with a few glasses of mimosas!  Yeah, although mimosa is in liquid form, it’s not calorie free (like how I wish).  What’s the solution?  Dine at home of course.     



So, what’s for brunch this weekend?  Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust!  It’s really easy to prepare and you can pre-bake the crust the day before so you can still sleep-in on the day you want to make the tart.  Plus, you get to relax and dine in at home.  No need to get up early, dress up, fix your hair and get the kids ready…etc.  You can enjoy a lovely brunch in your robe and slippers!  Ha! I bet the buffet can’t beat that!   ;)  Not to mention, it’s way cheaper than dining out. 



Are you sold on this idea yet?  I hope you are because I’m really happy that I did.  This Spinach-Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust was amazing.  As I was taking pictures soon after the tart came out of the oven, I couldn’t help but noticed the wonderful aromas from it.  The texture of the pecan crust was crumbly with a nice crunch from the edges.  The flavor of the crust was buttery and nutty with a hint of sweetness.  The shallots was mild in onion flavor and complimented well with other ingredients without over powdering other flavors.  The custard was velvety and the salty prosciutto on top added a nice crunch.  The creamy brie on top melted beautifully and added a sophisticated cheese flavor.  I would definitely make this again, and again.             




I recreated the Asparagus Hollandaise Tarts into this Spinach, Brie and Prosciutto Tart for Kitchen Play. Whether your recipe calls for raw or cooked eggs, it’s always safer to prepare it with pasteurized eggs, in my opinion.  Especially, with young kids and elderly at home, it’s better to serve pasteurized eggs for the peace of mind.

Safest Choice Eggs is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter.  (To make it even easier, click here for a great coupon offer from Safest Choice Eggs.) All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total).  The deadline is June 5, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Breville.



Spinach- Brie and Prosciutto Tart with Pecan Crust: Printable Recipe
Servings: 4-6

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecan, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons cold salted butter (1 stick), diced
1 Safest Choice Pasteurized egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
A few handfuls of spinach, washed and patted dry
4 slices of prosciutto
3 Safest Choice Pasteurized eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
pinch of freshly grounded black pepper
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes
4 oz brie cheese, break into small pieces
a few sprigs of thyme

To prepare the crust:

In a food processor, combine the flour, pecan, sugar and butter. Pulse until the butter becomes pea size. Add egg yolk and mustard, process until incorporated. Put the mixture on a lightly floured board and gather the dough into a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface in between two sheets of plastic wrap to fit your preferred pie pan. If the dough tears, just gently patch it with your fingertips.

Line the dough with a piece of parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dry beans and blind bake for 15-20 minutes until completely done. Remove the weights and parchment paper.

Prepare the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and cook the shallots until caramelized (about 3-4 minutes), add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. In the same pan, quickly sauté the prosciutto until slightly crisped. They will crisp up more during baking. Remove from the pan.

In a measuring cup, measure the milk, whisk in the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and red pepper flakes until well combined. Layer the shallot and spinach at the bottom of the crust and slowly pour the egg mixture over it.
Top with slices of prosciutto and brie cheese.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the tart is golden brown and the custard is cooked. Sprinkle with freshly chopped thyme and enjoy.


This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Friday Potluck
Fresh Bite Friday
Fresh Clean and Pure Friday