Cherry Tomato Tarts

Ingredients

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 5 ounces halloumi cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400°.

2. 2

   Unfold the pastry on a lightly floured counter. Use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut rounds from the pastry.

3. 3

   Gently press each round into a 2-inch tart mold. A mini-muffin tin could also be used, which is what I did. Use your fingers to press the dough against the top edge of the mold, pinching away and discarding any excess dough.

4. 4

   Place 4 tomato quarters in each mold, then wedge a piece of cheese between them.

5. 5

   Arrange the tarts (or muffin tins) on a rimmed baking sheet, then season them with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.

6. 6

   Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and brown at the edges. Let the tarts cool a bit before removing them from the molds.

7. 7

   The tarts can be served warm or at room temperature. You can also cool them, then refrigerate and re-heat briefly just before serving.