RASPBERRIES GO TO THE GRILL– FOR THE ULTIMATE MINI TART APPETIZER

Raspberries go to the grill recipe is a mini tart with Brie and smoky raspberries on top- Yummy!

Known to help aid weight loss, be a cancer preventer, and assist your autoimmune system, raspberries are one of the fresh fruits that can have a short availability depending on where you live.  I like to take advantage of the fresh harvest and use them of course in desserts but I also like to blend them with savory items for a perfect bite of balanced flavors.

That’s why I’m taking fresh raspberries and smoking them first to enrich their flavor then combining them with creamy brie cheese for a great, five-ingredient appetizer.

Take a trip to your fresh produce stand, farmer’s market, or even the grocery store and pick up some raspberries for this easy recipe.

Ingredients & Prep

Beautiful fresh raspberries are going to the grill for a smoking that will turn them into a perfect jam-like consistency to be added to a tartlet.  First, gather these five ingredients for a full cook event on your favorite grill:

• 1-1/2 cups raspberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 30 phyllo tart shells
• 8 oz. Brie

If you plan to use a charcoal grill for the cooking, do the grill’s set up first so the fire can die down to hot embers.  You’ll want to remember that no matter if you use a charcoal or LP/Gas grill, you’ll be setting up a two-zone cooking method, which by now you likely know is my favorite way to grill and smoke foods.  You’ll also need a couple of wood chunks for the smoke infusion which will be placed on the hot coals of a charcoal grill or the heat shield or in a smoking box of the gas grill.

While your heating up the grill, rinse and pat dry the 1-1/2 cups of raspberries – fresh or store bought – and place in a disposable foil pan.  When the grill is ready, add your disposable pan of raspberries to the unlit side of the grill.  Leave to cook for about 15 minutes.

Turning Fruit to Fruit Sauce-Raspberries go to the grill!

After bringing the raspberries to the grill and cooking with wood chunks for about 15 minutes, you’ll find that the raspberries have softened and broken down, making for the perfect sauce-like consistency.  Time to sweeten and thicken them up.  Start by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the pan and stir to combine.  Allow the mixture to continue to cook for another 10 minutes.  Then stir again and place on the warming rack of your grill.

Tart Time

I love the ready-made phyllo tart shells available in most grocery stores.  This makes our recipe super fast and easy.  You’ll need 30 premade phyllo tart shells and about 8 ounces of Brie.
Taking the brie, cut into ½-inch slices and then cut those slices in half.  Cut the slices into ½-inch cubes.  You’ll need about 2-3 cubes per shell so prepare 90 cubes.  Use the leftovers in other recipes or eat on their own. Be sure the brie is cold when you cut it especially if you’ve purchased a double crème or you’ll have issues keeping the cubes firm.

With the brie cubed and the tart shells laid out in a pan, it’s time to take these tarts to the grill for some melting.  Just like when the raspberries were smoked using a two-zone method, we place the tart shells on the unlit side of the grill and the raspberry filling on the warming rack.  Close the lid and allow the brie to melt and absorb the great wood flavor from our wood chunks.  As the cheese melts, you may need to rotate the pan to ensure an even melting.

After the brie-filled tart shells have melted, it’s time to take the smoked raspberry sauce that we sweetened and thickened to become our sweet-tart complement to the brie’s creaminess.  Simply spoon a tablespoon or so of smoked raspberry sauce on top of the melted brie, making sure to stay within the tart shell edges.  Allow the tarts to cook for just a few additional minutes, then remove from the grill and serve immediately.

With the crunch and lightness of the phyllo shell, the creaminess of the brie and the sweet-tart of the smoked raspberry sauce, this is the perfect light appetizer that will be enjoyed by everyone.  And don’t forget, the entire recipe can be done on the grill!