Tasty, hot appetizers that take little time to prepare but will impress your guests!
OMG! These were so good! It was the first appetizer to go! I did follow a few of the suggestions: used Gorgonzola instead of bleu cheese & drizzled honey on the top after a few minutes of cooling. I also added about 2 tablespoons of light cream cheese to balance the Gorgonzola and to make the tart a little creamy. Also, I forgot to add the light cream at first, so I "poured" a drop onto each tart individually after I filled them. This turned out fine. There was quite a bit of mix left after filling the 15 tartletts, so I created my own tartlets by using regular philo dough (sp?) and cutting it into small squares (about 5 or 6 layers). If you make your own, make sure you brush melted butter on the dough so it will turn golden. (I forgot that step.) Next time, I will dice the pear pieces up smaller & add a piece of walnut to the finished product before drizzling the honey. The description said it was time-consuming, but I found this to be one of the easiest things I've made in a while. The "work" is in dicing the pear & filling the tarts - not time-consuming at all.
Read MoreI enjoyed this recipe, however, they went mostly untouched at my party.
Read More OMG! These were so good! It was the first appetizer to go! I did follow a few of the suggestions: used Gorgonzola instead of bleu cheese & drizzled honey on the top after a few minutes of cooling. I also added about 2 tablespoons of light cream cheese to balance the Gorgonzola and to make the tart a little creamy. Also, I forgot to add the light cream at first, so I "poured" a drop onto each tart individually after I filled them. This turned out fine. There was quite a bit of mix left after filling the 15 tartletts, so I created my own tartlets by using regular philo dough (sp?) and cutting it into small squares (about 5 or 6 layers). If you make your own, make sure you brush melted butter on the dough so it will turn golden. (I forgot that step.) Next time, I will dice the pear pieces up smaller & add a piece of walnut to the finished product before drizzling the honey. The description said it was time-consuming, but I found this to be one of the easiest things I've made in a while. The "work" is in dicing the pear & filling the tarts - not time-consuming at all.
These were fabulous. What a great recipe- this one goes into the favourites file. After reading all the reviews, I did tweak the recipe slightly based on personal taste but I think it would have probably been good without changes too, just stronger. I like blue cheese but suspected out guests may not be as fond so I wanted to tame it a bit. These changes will make about 30 appetizer tarts, as it basically doubles the volume of the recipe. 1. used about 2 -3 ounces of Pear Blue Cheese - that's what I had on hand. 2.added half a brick of cream cheese ( 4 oz) to mellow out and make it melt more and help meld with pears 3. used 2 pears to increase creaminess and pear-iness and diced them in 1/4" dice 4. did not add cream 5. added a carmelized walnut to the top of each tart before popping in the oven (1 cup walnuts to 1/2 cup sugar, set to medium in a pan and stir constantly until sugar melts and carmelizes walnuts. turn onto non stick foil until cool) I used regular tart shells - that what I had on hand. (I have never seen pre made phyllo tart shells in my stores). I must confess that I think I ate more of these than our company. I am going to make them again later this week. They were delicious.
I couldn't find premade phylo shells and didn't have time to make some, so I used pie crust instead. I cut store bought crust into approx. 2 inch squares and pressed them into mini tart pans. I baked the pie crust for a little less time than the package called for then I put the filling into the hot pie crust and put it back into the oven for 5 more minutes. They came out bubbly and delicious and were gone within minutes at my party!
Good recipe...even better when I topped them with a little piece of a candied walnut and a drop of honey! MMM! Everyone commented on how unique they were, not the typical appetizer. Excellent with a glass of wine!
I used this recipe for my daughters wedding reception. It was fabulous. I was concerned that the blue cheese might be overpowering so I used gorgonzola instead, much milder and the flavors blended wonderfully. There were none left!!
This was a great hit at a party I took them to. The key to greater success is to keep the tartlets warm. I did not have a warming plate. Also, I may try a granny smith apple because I felt the pear was not tart enough to offset the blue cheese. I will definitely make it again. Thanks!
I make something similar to this; its everybody's party request. I use the phyllo sheets cut into wedges because its cheaper to feed more people, I omit the cream and also add a topping of caramelized onions. So good :)
Great Recipe! I brought these for a dinner party over at my in-laws house. My Father-in-law could not stop raving about them! I used an extra 1/2 pear in this and kept everything else the same. Very good, and very simple.
these were awesome! served them to my friends at a "purse" party...raves! almost everyone begged for the recipe. i doubled the recipe *used a little less than double the blue cheese* only used one pear and 2 pkgs of tarts. i heated the tarts first for 5 minutes ..then filled and baked. must be a lover of crumbly blue! i might even try adding a bit of apple and some finely chopped walnuts next time!
Excellent! Will make again, best if served warm. Due to some of the reviews, I did adjust a little. I mixed equal parts cream cheese and blue chesse. I used canned pears and added a small amount of the pear juice to prevent the mxture from being to dry. I did drizzle the top with honey and added a candied pecan for flavor and presentation. Fabulous!!!!
These were delicious and pretty easy to make. The most time-consuming part was actually filling all the tart shells. I used gorgonzola cheese instead of regular blue and I omitted the light cream, using goat cheese instead to add a little creaminess. I also added some caramelized onion for a little sweetness, which was really good. It works well to mix up the filling ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to fill the tart shells. There is lots of room for customization in this recipe.
Very elegant and delicious appetizer! I used 1 1/2 ripe and juicy danjou pears. I also used gorgonzola instead of bleu cheese. Added 1/2 cup of small curd cottage cheese to gorgonzola/cream mixture in order to cut the richness of the gorgonzola. Did not add pepper. Sprinkled tarts with chopped walnuts before baking. After removing from oven, immediately added a drop of honey on top of walnuts. To die for!!!
These were very good. I used gorgonzola and canned pears in no syrup because they are softer. I added a walnut piece to the top and drizzled with honey when they came out of the oven. This appetizer was a big hit. Just make sure your blue cheese is crumbled and not in big lumps-for those unsure if they like blue cheese, big chunks are a turn-off.
Wow! I took these to a party and got rave reviews! Never have I spent so little time on an appetizer and rec'd so many compliments. I read the other reviews and used a mixture of gargonzola and cream cheese with the drizzle of honey and the candied walnut on top. These are so good!!! Two thumbs up!
Delicious! I made these for a Christmas Party on Saturday night. Guests loved them. A rather "grown up" taste.
I really enjoyed these. I used Gorgonzola cheese and one wedge of Laughing Cow light because I didn't have any cream. It was a perfect appetizer and I plan on making again for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
These were just ok. The blue cheese flavor was overwhelming (and I LOVE blue cheese) so much that it was really all I could taste. I increased the amount of pear but the flavor still got lost. When it was time to serve these I drizzled each cup with the tiniest bit of honey and that made them taste much better, I recommend the honey!
Simple and delicious. Add some candied walnuts to the top to make it really stand out. Also good with some craisins during the holidays. Make sure to keep the size small because these are rather rich.
Just ok for me. Served them at a party and had a lot left over. The pears were a bit mushy.
This was good. I gave it four stars instead of five due to personal taste and the fact that it was impossible for me to find a store that carried pre-made philo dough shells. I had to make my own by forming philo dough sheets I cut and buttered into a muffin pan. So for me, there was extra tedious work I had not planned on. Also, I made them with Gorgonzola cheese instead of Blue cheese, but it was still too pungent for my taste. The concept is there though, so I plan to make them again with a different, milder, cheese, and....after I find a place that sells the shells pre-made.
Wah-Waaaaahhh. This was NOT a hit at all. People who tried said that they weren't "mad that they ate it, but they didn't want another one."
I changed the recipe slightly by adding a block of cream cheese to the mix and omitting the pear from the filling. After filling the phillo shells with filling, I topped each shell with a peeled pear slice. These were a hit at my husband's 30th birthday party. I originally made them "just for us" but even the blue cheese "haters" loved this appetizer!
This recipe is a 5 star WITH SOME MINOR CHANGES. Use 4 oz Gorgonzola Cheese in place of the blue cheese. For the shells combine 6 oz cream cheese, 1 C butter and 2 C flour. Chill 1 hr. Divide dough into 48 balls and press into ungreased mini-muffin cups. Bake at 375 for about 5 mins. Allow shells to cool. Fill with pear/cheese mixture. Bake as directed. Top with a candied walnut and drizzle with honey, as another reviewer recommended.
Made the recipe as you see. I wished the type of pear had been included, as size varies from one variety to another. When you combine the blue cheese and pear, the gray-blue color is fairly unappetizing, and I'm not sure why the cream is there -- it just made the mixture soupy and soaked through the phyllo. The taste was alright, texture was good.
AWESOME. No really, these are seriously awesome. Not sure what it is about the combination of blue cheese and pear, but it really, really works. This appetizer is outstanding with a glass of Savingnon Blanc.
These are super easy but look fancy. Followed to a T but used cresent rolls and molded them into a muffin pan to make the cups. If you like blue cheese you are going to love this recipe! I will make again, thank you!
These are so fast and easy to prepare and so good!! Served them at a party and everyone gobbled them up and kept exclaiming how delicious they were. Will definitely make again!
I couldn't find the phillo, so I had regular vol-au-vents: I served it for Xmas dinner and... well, the recipe was oh so simple, and everybody said it was delicious and unusual. In my opinion, the sweetness of the pear blended wonderfully with the sting from the blue cheese. To be repeated, indeed!
Made these two years ago for my Thanksgiving appetizer. Made them per the recipe, they came out great! My brother decided to add a bit of Frank's Red Hot on top and that was actually a great add. Will be making them again for Thanksgiving this year. They are super easy to make! I did have a bit of a hard time finding the Phyllo shells at first, but found them in the freezer aisle at the store.
Great idea for a simple, different appetizer. It is easily transported. This recipe easily makes 2 packages, or 30, phyllo shells. I tried combinations of apples instead of pears and gorgonzola instead of blue cheese. Both were good. Next I'll try feta cheese with a sprinkle of oregano on top.
This was a very easy recipe, even for someone who doesn't cook much like me. I loved it! Next time I will try adding a dab of honey on the top of these. The blue cheese flavor can be a little overwhelming and I think my family will like the tarts better if there's something to balance it.
Yummy! Definitely lessen the cheese add more pears and mos def add walnuts (crumbled) I put light cream, cream cheese and walnut. I used Pillsbury crescent seamless dough, cut into squares. You want to preheat the dough, so it is not so doughy after baking with the ingredients. Adding Honey after baking would def increase the yumminess!!
This was wonderful. Made it before reading reviews, but also used gorgonzola and topped with a candied walnut. Also, try sprinkling pomegranates seeds for added visual interest. This just became a staple in my repertoire of appys!
I loved these. I did what some others reviewers said and used sweet gorgonzola instead. I also drizzled the final product with some honey for some added sweetness. Worked very well with the cheese and complimented the pears. It also makes for a more “finished” look and presentation. Will make these again and again! Thanks!
I've been making these for several years now - they are always requested for parties! Like other reviewers, Gorgonzola or any similar cheese works great! I've also used milk when I didn't have any cream.
Made this appetizer for Christmas eve. Was really excited about serving it as I love the combination of pear and blue cheese. I was actually disappointed in the flavor. Nothing special. Probably won't make again.
These were interesting to say the least! I am not a big fan of "stinky" cheeses (mmm give me Mango Brie any day of the week!), but I loved the idea of mixed flavors! I used premade phyllo shells (BOGO free sale) and doubled the recipe. I think the blue cheese was a bit strong for the pear, I followed in other reviewer's footsteps and added a drizzle of honey to them. It did the trick!Keep an eye on the tarts and make sure to take them out at 15 minutes, they singe easily. Mine are extra crispy as I was trying to overcompensate for an underripe pear. Using a very ripe pear may help with the sweetness as well. The taste is growing on me, they might not make it to Thanksgiving at the folk's tomorrow...
I used and Asian pear and heavy cream. I added 3 Tablespoons diced cooked bacon and 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped pecans with one more Tablespoon of the cream. I used already cooked filo dough tart shells from the grocers freezer. Took them to a pot luck and they were the talk of the town. Yum!!!
I made this recipe for a New Year's Eve party and was disappointed in both the recipe and of my execution of it. I made the filling ahead of time (about two hours) and let it sit in the fridge. I think this is where I went wrong. The filling was flat, running, and pretty unappealing - it took on a greyish color that was pretty funking. I would recommend using gorgonzola as others have recommended. I just might try this again but tweak based on comments.
A hit at the party! I doubled the recipe but only used one package of cheese because I didn't want the cheese to be overpowering. I was able to fill 30 mini phyllo cups and still there was filling left over. They came out perfect!
I used a fresh pear from my parent's tree and a high quality blue cheese, but was dissapointed in them. I guess I expected them to be a little sweeter. I used roll out pie shell and used a glass to cut out circles and put them in a regular muffin tin, it made 12 tarts. They just tasted like blue cheese, so nothing spectacular. II gave it 3 stars because my daughter(6) took a bite and said, "mom, these are fantastic" so I gave credit for her opinion. However not 5 stars since the rest of us didn't care for them. I will not be making again.
I made this for a shower and they stuck to the pan and no one liked them. I love the cheese and pear idea, two things I really like but this was not good.
I didn't actually make this but I sent the recipe to my parents (who are very picky about quality of food) as a suggestion for their annual party. I was able to attend the party and try these beauties. DELICIOUS. The sweet and strong flavors mix together nicely. Even my friend who doesn't really like blue cheese was able to partake in these (though he said he really likes pears and I do not like pears). As for my parents they thought this came out very well and was super east to make. A winner all-around in my book.
I just took these out of the oven. They smell fantastic, but I wish I'd bought two packages of the phyllo shells. Either they were too small or my pear was too big -- or maybe I used too much cheese. Whatever the cause, in an effort to use all the filling, I overfilled some the cups and they've spilled over, causing the cups to crumble on one side. I'm hoping they don't completely fall apart when I take them off the baking sheet as there's cheese mixture everywhere. Next time I think I will use twice as many cups and not overfill them. I think the taste is going to be out of this world, though, and they were incredibly easy to put together.
Everyone enjoyed these when I made them as an hors d'oevre for the neighborhood barbecue. They're better for fall/winter but I wanted to make them in the summer, and they were excellent.
very good! I took this to a dinner party and it was a big hit. I had too much filling for one package of phyllo tarts but saved it for the next day. Next time I won't add as much blue cheese so there's no leftover filling.
Not a favorite...I served it at a party and it didn't go over well. I had doubled the pears but the blue cheese still overpowered them. The flavors didn't mix well during baking. You really have to be a lover of blue cheese to enjoy this one.
I received a mix reaction from the crowd, but I love Blue Cheese so I thought these were very good. I will definitely make this again, but next time I will use more pears and less blue cheese (to appease the crowd).
Easy to make when you buy the frozen cups. Everyone liked them. I would make them again.
These are wonderful. I made the filling 3 hours early and filled the shells just prior to baking. I will definitley make this again.
Did not like the strong blue cheese flavor. Only thing going for it was it was easy to make. Tried it also with goat cheese, did not like that either.
Made these for a baby shower and was disappointed, although there were none left over. I did not think that they were very pretty (not sure what I was expecting), and even though I subbed in gorgonzola for the blue cheese, the flavor still totally overpowered the pear. I might try these again by dramatically increasing the pear to cheese ratio so that they taste more like pear with a hint of cheese, rather than the other way around. I'll also buy more shells next time -- we were left with a lot of filling leftover (though I'm going to try to use it up by sprinkling it over field greens).
These were a special appetizer. Our friends had given us a box of delicious pears and we tried this appetizer when they came over for dinner. Great, different. We did add 4 tbls of cream cheese to the mixture and topped it with a sprinkling of chopped pecans. Excellent!
I loved these lil tartlets, but my guests did not eat many. I suspect the blue cheese was overwhelming for most.
Looooove these! They're always a hit at parties, and the hardest part about making them is cutting up the pear - not so bad!
These were very delicious and were a perfect appetizer for thanksgiving. I drizzled a little honey on top after baking - which was the needed addition to make them spectacular.
I just made this today, with a couple of modifications. I used a ready prepared pie crust instead of phyllo and used biscuit cutter. Baked tart crust for 5 min on 325 degrees before adding filling; then baked an additional 15 min. Crust was perfect this way. I didn't have light cream so I used a few dollops of vanilla yogurt - that gave it a little sweetness without using the honey that some people recommended at the end. Also, sprinkled with chives before baking. The blue cheese flavor is strong, and I like it but not everyone does. As some suggested, I think I will use more pear or apple next time to cut the sharpness a little. I think I will add walnuts to the filling next time, too, because I'm missing a little crunch (Phyllo would have helped with that). All in all, very tasty recipe!
Wow were these great. We drizzled a tiny bit of honey on them, and it was a great combo.
Love these. I use the blue cheese when we stay home and use gorgonzola when I take it to parties. So easy but yet so elegant. ??
These are easy to make but I was looking for a bit more sweetnest so next time I made them I drizzled a bit of honey ontop that was perfect!!!
Delicious and easy to make. I added the sugared walnut to each. Received compliments from everyone at dinner and will definitely make again!
These were so easy yet elegant. I made them for a girls' night out party and they were the rave. I plan on having them on my girlfriend's bridal shower. Thanks for a fabulous and super simple recipe! Love it, Love it, Love it!
Different, but not 5 stars. I think even adding a little cream cheese and drizling honey on top, it's still overly sour. Maybe cut the cheese in half so the sweet pear note is heavier. As is, feels like you could get a stomach ache quickly from just a few of these. I will modify it more before serving to guests for sure.
These were a big hit at the Christmas party! I followed others advice and substituted Gorgonzola for the Blue cheese, added chopped walnuts and finely chopped candied ginger to the mixture before adding to the tartlets. After they finished baking and cooled for a bit, I drizzled honey on top. Others said that keeping them warm was tricky but I found that when they cooled to room temperature, they were a little sweeter which made them perfect! Definitely a keeper!
These were impressive and SO delicious!! If you're a blue cheese lover, this is a must try!
The filling is delicious but we weren't a fan of the phyllo cups...Made them a second time using canned crescent rolls, which I cut to bite-sized pieces and folded over/sealed. Much, much better. I think the filling might be good deep-fried in wonton wrappers - I'll try that next.
These little appy's were elegant and delicious. If you make this for a party like I did, keep in mind that there are alot of non blue cheese lovers out there, so don't be insulted if not everyone likes them. Half of the guests turned their noses up and the other half devoured every one! Thanks so much!
I really liked this recipe. I added some chopped walnuts for crunch and used fresh puff pastry to make mini quiches. Also, I used low-fat cream cheese and milk instead of cream because that was what I had on hand. Very tasty and easy to make.
I thought these were really good. I took some tips from other reviewers and added a drizzle of honey and a candied walnut to each of them once they were done cooking. I am SO happy I did that. They needed a little sweetness, otherwise they would be way to blue cheesy rich. If your guests are fans of blue cheese on its own, then these will be a hit. Otherwise, probably not so much.
This was a great hit at my party. The blue cheese was really mild. I would serve this again.
I made these for my annual Christmas party and everyone loved them. I have to say they don't really look very pretty if made exactly like the recipe, so before putting them on a decorative plate, I added two toasted sliced almonds to the center and then lightly drizzled a basalmic glaze over the entire platter. They were a huge hit!
These came out great. Followed other reviewers advice and used some cream cheese to reduce the over powering flavor of the gorgonzola. I also used canned pears that were not in syrup (just in pear juice), walnuts, and honey. Some people who normally dont like the flavor or blue cheese liked them while others thought the blue cheese flavor was too prominent.
Made these for a dinner party I was having. Thought they would be really good as hubby and I really love blue cheese. Did not like these at all. Didn't even serve them. Sounded good, but tasted really bad.
I made this exaclty as written. I thought the cheese overpowered the appetizer.
So quick and easy. They were a definate hit. But serves 15 means only 1/guest. Be mindful of this and how many your guests might eat. Thanks for this one.
I made these for Christmas brunch and everyone loved them. This recipe is so easy. Also I used pre-cooked cups.
This was good, I think it can be better and I will try again with additional adjustments, however, the first time I made this my slight adjustments included, bumping up the amount of cream cheese from 2 tbsp to 4 tbsp. Increased pear to 1 1/2 and grated instead of chopped. I blended with a food processor which was a mistake. i should have left out the pear and only processed the cream cheese and blue cheese. I also folded in about 3 tbsp of finely chopped pecans. Everyone enjoyed, there were no leftovers. Next time I will try using phyllo sheets instead of cups and assemble as foldovers (see feta folders recipe on this site, also a good one). Thanks.
Really tasty. They look and taste more complicated than they are! Made them for thanksgiving and got a lot of compliments. Only change I made was switching out the cream for milk since that's what I had at home.
If you like blue cheese (which I do) then these are wonderful. If you don't like tangy, strong cheeses, then you will not like these. I doubled the amount of pear, used pie crust instead of filo, and didn't need any cream because the cheese melted nicely and combined with the softening pears. I made them for a small dinner party and thought I would have leftovers, but they were gone very quickly.
Wow, so delightful, although our phylo didn't hold as much as I would havee liked.
I made my own phyllo mini cups (cut them into squares and baked in mini muffin pans). Instead of onions, I sprinkled with chopped bacon bits. After baking, I drizzled with honey.
Awesome! Wow, these were amazing! I topped mine with just a little bit of carmelized onion, and they were amazing. Easy and delicious appetizer...quick prep...impressive presentation, too.
If you’re a fan of Blue Cheese then here you go. I thought the blend of the cheese with the pears made a very interesting combination. Quite different, yet good at the same time. This would make a great addition to any appetizer menu.
Great! I used half cream cheese and half Gorgonzola, and it was plenty blue cheesy! I added a drop of honey on top as some suggested...I will leave that off next time. Also I used heavy cream (just because that's all I had), and it worked fine. Everyone loved them!
Did not like these, a friend had them at a party so I looked up this recipe and gave it a try. They were quite tasteless, the blue cheese and pear combo is soo bland, they looked quite lovely but need some definite work, an addition of something to give them flavor
So wonderful!! I did use half bleu, half goat cheese, but will go all-out with the bleu next time. The pear balances the flavor out nicely. I also drizzled with a little honey like others suggested. Definitely a keeper!
