These delicious caprese salad bites are miniaturized appetizers served in a puff pastry cup. They are the perfect appetizers are any party.
THANK YOU!
You helped me pass the first milestone of my blogging career.
My first 100 Days of blogging!!
What a 100 days it has been! I have so many people to thank for bringing me to this point. Honestly, I would never have made it here were it not for all you help and support!
Readers like you have kept me afloat during my 3 months of rantings, ramblings and reminiscing!
All you of posted creative comments, engaged with me on twitter, LIKED me on Facebook and even Pinned my {not so great} pictures on your Pinterest accounts.
And, you did all this out of the goodness of your heart and also because you believed in me.
The food blogging, foodies and food lovers community is the best online community. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and creative group of supporters.
So, from the bottom of my heart, I send you a heartfelt Thank You! You cannot be more awesome!!!
I am taking 100 of these caprese salad bites to a party this evening.
Wish all of you could come over.
You know what I have recently discovered? It is these wonderful basil called “Living Herbs”.
The basil is left in the root and sold that way. As you can see, it will stay fresh for days. They are sold by North Shore Living Herbs company. I have only seen them in some chain grocery stores, but, they are so great and money-saving items.
If you feel like changing it up, you can use arugula pesto instead.
Before these living herbs, I had to freeze basil which completely ruins their taste. Or I would throw away many of the leaves because they were dying.
Now, I just put them in water and they remain fresh for about 2-3 weeks.
Caprese salad is one of favorite things to order at any Italian restaurant. I have seen them being served in many different forms. Sometimes, the simplest ones are the most fun to eat. The restaurant will arrange them in a line alternating between tomato slices, Mozzarella slices and fresh basil leaves. Then they would douse them with Balsamic vinegar. Frankly, I could eat them forever.
I have a love of oven roasted cherry tomatoes and tomato salad.
My version of these party snacks has goat cheese substituted for mozzarella. I like the taste of goat cheese in a puff pastry and they make for great appetizers. This is a very simple party recipe and it will be a winner with all your guests
Caprese salad in puff pastry bites are finger food items, so, don’t be surprised if your party goers go through them even before you have had a chance to remove them from the oven.
But, even better, these caprese salad are a hit with kids.
You would be surprised to see how easy this caprese salad bites are to make.
Personally, I like to make my own basil pesto, especially after discovering the living herbs. But, if you prefer store bought, go for it.
Fresh mozzarella also makes a delicious mozzarella cheese sandwich and an amazing eggplant parmesan sandwich.
So, if you are my regular reader, feel free to leave a comment below and I will personally thank you!
For now, enjoy these delicious caprese salad bites.
Tomato Caprese Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
For the Pesto
For the Caprese Puff Pastry Bites
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry
- 1 cup cherry tomato
- 4 oz Goat Cheese
For the Balsamic Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Thaw puff pastry according to instructions
- Toast the Pine nuts and set aside
- In a food processor, add the basil leaves, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and water
- Cut each of the cherry tomatoes into halves
- Cut the goat cheese into small pieces
- In a small pan, add the balsamic vinegar and heat at medium heat.
- Allow it to become a syrup consistency and then transfer to a glass container to cool
- On a flat surface that is floured, place the puff pastry and roll it gently
- Paste with the pesto sauce. Use a pastry brush to make sure it is evenly spread
- Cut into squares
- Take a mini cupcake pan and spray it with oil spray.
- Gently place each square in the hole
- Add one goat cheese piece on each of the pastry squares
- Add 1 cut cherry tomato on each of the pastry squares
- Place in the oven for 20 minutes
- Once done, remove the caprese bites from the muffin pan and set aside to cool
This is a wonderful idea and will be perfect passed at parties
Thank you!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! What a wonderful milestone! Keep on writing about delicious recipes like these gorgeous puffs and I will be a VERY happy camper!!
Thank you so much, Betsy! You comments make me a VERY happy camper too!
omg … I love these!
I am a puff pastry addict, and I love anything ‘caprese’ … so these sound right up my alley! And a perfect bite to make for a summer party.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kimberly. I really appreciate the nice comments. They are great for summer parties.
I am Puff Pastry Obsessed and made a similar type of tomato caprese pastry dish, have a look 🙂
Great pictures and Great blog! Congratulations x
Thank you, Rebecca. That is a really NICE recipe!. Very clever and looks delicious!
I love this recipe and I could be satisfied making these for my dinner when my husband’s not home. It’s like a puff pastry brushetta. I made a puff pastry snack a couple weeks ago and had a terrible time opening them. I thought that maybe they were too thawed and put them back in the refrig for an hour, but practically had to tear them apart.
I’m going to look for those living herbs. Although I have several herbs growing on my deck, this may be simpler to leave them in my kitchen window.
Thank you Sylvia! I really hope that you make these in bruschetta form and tell me how they turned out. I am curious how they work. If my deck would be able to grow basils, I would be overjoyed. I am envious of anyone who can. Someday, I might pop over and borrow some.
These sound amazing, I love your use of goat cheese, so much flavor.
Thank you Janette! I appreciate it. And also, thanks for all your support over the last 100 days. 🙂