Tarte Soleil Appetizer: 5 Ways

Tarte Soleil Appetizer is a French-inspired pull-apart puff pastry that always makes the greatest impression among your guests. It comes here in 5 easy ways and different fillings, so you never run out of options!

An easy (and impressive) finger food recipe

With its impressive and artistic design, this twisted pastry can be intimidating at first. But it’s actually very easy to make! Plus it’s the perfect party food when you have guests showing up at the last minute – yes, at the last minute. With minimal effort, tarte soleil makes an easy appetizer recipe to entertain at your next gathering party, with the most wow effect every single time.

Tarte soleil belongs to the shareable appetizer recipe, alongside with the pizza star ring and the Rosemary Sweet Potato Bread Wreath with Baked Camembert. Among the 3 of them, tarte soleil is by far the simplest one to prepare. Remember that despite what we usually think, French people have a way to make home cooking incredibly simple, and this tarte soleil (French for sun tart) is no exception. Now let me guide you through the recipe. To make it easier for you, I prepared a step-by-step tutorial at the end of this post.

Which crust to use to make tarte soleil?

Most of the time, a store-bought puff pastry will do. You need 2 equal size circles of puff pastry for the recipe. Alternatively, you can prepare a homemade puff pastry,use a traditional pie crust, or even a pizza crust. These two last options are less commonly used for a tarte soleil, but I personally like to use a traditional pie crust, that holds its shape beautifully. In the end, it’s mostly a matter of taste when it comes to the texture, so I leave it to you here. Just remember that you have options.

Now, how to shape the tarte soleil?

Please make sure you check my tutorial below. As you can see, it’s pretty simple. Just roll out the dough into a circle onto a cookie sheet and spread the filling of your choice over, leaving some space around the edge. Dab edges with water, then, cover with the second circle of dough.

At this point, place a glass in the middle of the circle, and using a sharp knife, cut into quarters. Cut each quarter into three equal parts, and each of them into two parts. In the end, you will have 6 “rays” in each quarter, and 24 rays in the entire circle.

Grab each strip, and gently twist it a couple of times. Repeat again with all the strips, and the tarte soleil is born! Easy, right?

How to garnish my tarte soleil?

Because I like to have plenty of options depending on the occasion, and because the tarte soleil is a super versatile concept that works both in sweet and savory versions, I decided to leave you with a few options rather than just one. These are mostly suggestions, and you can of course mix and match the ingredients as you like. Note that all options are on the savory side though, as I wanted to keep the idea of a shareable appetizer.

5 filling options:

• Tapenade & ricotta – Layer them on top of each other. The ricotta underneath balances the strong flavors of tapenade. Alternatively, you can skip the ricotta.

• Goat cheese & sun-dried tomatoes – Start with mixing the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor until you get a thick paste. Spread over the crust, then sprinkle some fresh goat cheese on top. If you’d like, you can add a few basil leaves on top.

• Homemade garlic butter – All you need is to mix together softened butter, minced garlic and parsley. Because butter will spread out easily when you will need to twist the strips, I recommend to pop the crust in the freezer for about 5 minutes to make sure it is ready to handle and shape the twists.

• Basil pesto – Mix the basil pesto with the grated parmesan cheese in order to get a rather thick paste that stays in place even when you make the twists. If the texture is still too runny, pop the crust in the freezer a couple of minutes, then shape the twists.

• Tomato sauce and parmesan – This combination will make your tarte soleil taste like a pizza, or almost. I use some tomato paste rather than classic tomato sauce to ensure the filling is not too runny. Add some herbs, salt and pepper, and you have your own tomato sauce – or almost.

Once the tarte soleil is garnished with the filling of your choice, brush with beaten eggs, and sprinkle some sesame on top if you wish. Bake until golden and get ready to impress your guests: tear off ray of sun, and enjoy!

More appetizer recipe ideas:

• Herb Parmesan Scones
• How To Make a Perfect Cheese Board
• Strawberry Tomato Bruschetta
• Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizer
• Sweet Potato Bread Wreath with Baked Camembert
• Whole Wheat Mediterranean Pizza Star Ring

Tarte Soleil Appetizer: 5 Ways!

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 1 tarte soleil 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: French

Tarte Soleil Appetizer is a French-inspired pull-apart puff pastry that always makes the greatest impression among your guests. It comes here in 5 easy ways and different fillings, so you never run out of options!

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the crust:

• 2 puff pastries, cut into equal size circles (or alternatively 2 classic pie crusts)
• 1 large egg, for brushing
• Black and white sesame, for decoration

Option 1: Tapenade & ricotta

• Plain ricotta cheese
• Black olive tapenade

Option 2: Goat cheese & sun-dried tomatoes

• Fresh goat cheese
• Sun-dried tomatoes, mixed in a food processor

Option 3: Homemade garlic butter

• 5 ounces (150g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 handful parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt, to taste

Option 4: Basil pesto

• Basil pesto
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Pine nuts

Option 5: Tomato sauce & grated cheese

• Tomato paste
• Herbes de Provence
• Salt and pepper
• Grated cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out the first piece of puff pastry into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle. Repeat with second dough, setting one aside in the fridge until needed.

For the filling:

1. Spread the filling, leaving 1/2-inch (1,5 cm) from the edges:

• Option 1: Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese, then one layer of black olive tapenade on top.
• Option 2: Spread a thin layer of sun-dried tomatoes paste (obtained by mixing the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor), then sprinkle some fresh goat cheese on top.
• Option 3: Prepare the garlic butter by combining all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread one medium layer over the crust. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 5 minutes until set.
• Option 4: Mix the basil pesto with the grated parmesan cheese in a small bowl, so that you get a rather thick paste. Then spread over the pie crust.
• Option 5: Spread the tomato pesto in a thin layer, sprinkle some herbes de Provence, season with salt and pepper, and add the grated cheese on top.

For assembling:

1. Dab edges with water and place second dough on top.
2. Set a small glass upside down in the middle. Using a sharp knife, cut away from glass in quarters.
3. Cut each quarter in half, then make 3 strips inside each half (making 6 strips into each quarter). Repeat in the other quarters until you have a 24 “rays” of pastry emanating from the center. If at any point in the cutting the pastry feels annoyingly soft and hard to cut, just pop the tray in the freezer for a few minutes to firm it back up.
4. Remove the glass. Place your finger near the center of each ray (where it is most likely to break off prematurely) and gently twist each strand a few times.
5. Brush with beaten egg (with one tablespoon of water), sprinkle sesame seed and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown all over. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter. Tear off rays of sun, and enjoy!

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Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Tarte Soleil Appetizer: 5 Ways!, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Tarte Soleil: A step-by-step guide