Candied Tomato, Mascarpone & Black Sesame Pastries

These simple but impressive canapés with their golden, flaky pastry topped with crunchy black sesame seeds, lemony mascarpone and sweet candied tomatoes will impress at any cocktail party. All the elements can be made ahead and assembled just before serving, making entertaining easy.

Prep Time: 55 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 16
Skill Level: intermediate

Candied Tomato, Mascarpone and Black Sesame Pastries

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Where to buy Carême Pastry

Ingredients

1 (445g packet) Carême Sour Cream Shortcrust Pastry, defrosted
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) water
16 vine-ripened cherry truss tomatoes
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (see note)
200g mascarpone
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
24 baby basil leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Line two oven trays with baking paper.
Unroll the pastry and place on a floured benchtop. Using a 4.5cm round cutter, cut 24 rounds of pastry from the dough. Prick each disk 2-3 times with the tines of a fork and place on prepared trays. Sprinkle pastry with the sesame seeds, pressing down seeds gently. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, line a tray with baking paper. Remove the tomatoes from the vine, leaving the stalk attached. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and boil, without stirring, for 6-8 minutes until the sugar is a light caramel colour. Remove from the heat. Working quickly, hold a tomato by the stalk and carefully dip in the caramel to coat, then place on the tray and set aside for 2-3 minutes to harden. Repeat with remaining tomatoes and caramel.
Combine the mascarpone, lemon rind and juice and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk for 1 minute or until combined.
To assemble the canapés, dollop pastry disks with a rounded teaspoon of the mascarpone mixture. Arrange a basil leaf on one edge of the mascarpone. Arrange tomatoes on mascarpone, making sure the basil leaf pokes out from under the tomato. Serve.
NOTE: Find black sesame seeds in the spice aisle of some major supermarkets or from health or gourmet food stores. If unavailable, replace them with white sesame seeds or poppy seeds.