Mini Goat Cheese Pizzas
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
- 1 package frozen puff pastry dough (17 ounces — 2 sheets), thawed
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- 1 package (4 ounces) fresh goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a 1-inch diameter cookie cutter, or the top of a small bottle, cut 24 disks of puff pastry; line onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Stack another, matching pan atop the disks, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. The second pan will keep the disks from rising too high.
Make a slight indentation on each disk with the tip of a small knife. Spoon in a bit of marinara sauce, crumble on a pinch of goat cheese, and sprinkle with chopped thyme.
To serve, warm again in the oven for 1 minute, until the goat cheese attains a slight shimmer; serve hot.
Crumbling Goat Cheese
Fresh cheese made from goats' milk, called “chèvre” in France, has a tangy flavor and smooth, creamy texture, even though it's lower in fat than most other cheeses. Cold from the refrigerator, it crumbles between the fingers, or by flaking it away with the tines of a fork, into attractive snowy-white nuggets. Chèvre is usually sold in three- to four-ounce logs. Push the tines of a fork down into the open end of a log, and pry down, twisting to produce attractive crumbs perfect for sprinkling on salads, garnishing soups, or piling on small rounds of French bread.
