This simple, elegant cake is perfect for brunch on special occasions like Mother’s Day, which just so happens to be right around the corner. Start the day by spoiling mom or the mom figures in your life with this spring cake and mimosa in hand!
The ingredients in this tart make it so special, fresh spring asparagus, eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano and two types of cheese, Boursin, a soft cheese stuffed with garlic and herbs, really give the tart a unique and delicious taste. The other is a hard cheese that’s a mix of cheddar and parmesan, although you can substitute Gruyere or shredded mozzarella if you can’t find it.
Another feature of this pie is the use of puff pastry for the crust, I think it really makes it. The puff pastry serves as a crunchy base for the creamy filling.
If you’ve ever been afraid to use Phyllo, don’t be, it’s so forgiving! The most important thing to remember is when you open the package and lay out the sheets, make sure you cover them with a damp cloth as they can dry out quickly. If the sheets tear while you’re layering them, don’t worry, just cover them with another one, you won’t even see any flaws in the finished product.
Phyllo gives the cake a rustic yet elegant look. Here’s another spring cake I made using Phyllo with ricotta as a base.
So golden brown and crunchy!
A nice slice of this delicious pie along with a fresh salad is the way to go.
I like to serve this rocket, avocado and cucumber salad with shaved Parmigiano and a fresh lemon olive oil dressing, it’s the perfect side dish.
Serve warm or at room temperature, either way you’ll be delighted!
- Tart pan with removable bottom, I used a 12×8 pan
- 1 pound or bunch of fresh asparagus, preferably no thicker, cleaned and trimmed
- 7-8 sheets of phyllo dough, cover sheets with a damp cloth during use
- 1 stick melted butter, unsalted
- 6 eggs
- 1 packet Boursin Cheese, Garlic and Fine Herbs, 5.2 oz
- 1 very heaping cup shredded cheese like the cheddar and parmesan blend I had, or gruyere or mozzarella (not fresh)
- 2 heaped tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus extra for sprinkling in between. leaves
- ½ cup cream
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- Heat oven to 375F.
- Place the asparagus single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
- At room temperature, mash the Boursin cheese in a medium bowl to get most of the lumps out.
- Place the six eggs in the bowl and whisk together with the cream, zest, parmigiano and thyme, then fold in the grated cheese and set aside.
- Set the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet for easy loading and unloading.
- Butter the sides and bottom of the tart pan with the melted butter.
- Then insert 1 x 1 sheet of phyllo, overlapping the sides, then quickly brush everything with melted butter.
- You can sprinkle some Parmigiano and some black pepper on each leaf.
- Repeat on each layer, brushing the butter on top and sides and adding a little parmigiano and black pepper, or you can do each other layer if you like.
- When you reach the top crease on the sides to make a nice crust all the way around, don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect, remember Phyllo is forgiving.
- Brush the top crust all over with butter.
- Pour all of the creamy filling over the pastry crust.
- Arrange the asparagus spears on the cheese mixture in a nice pattern.
- Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes and it will reach a nice deep golden colour.
- Cool it before removing the sides of the pan, then slide onto a platter without the bottom, which should slide off easily.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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