Garlic pistachio cranberry tarts are rich and colorful pillows of flavor. The perfect appetizer for game day, and through the holiday season.
recipe originally published December 28, 2011
Cranberry Appetizer for the holiday season
Cranberries are a classic holiday flavor - see more of our favorite cranberry recipes.
These garlic pistachio cranberry tarts are a tasty two bite appetizer with flavorful pistachio filling and ginger cranberry sauce.
This is one of those recipes I look forward to all year long. The garlic onion pistachio filling is one I keep thinking of, coming up with new ways to use it.
Although 'by the spoonful' is a good choice, and we have enjoyed the pistachio filling as a dip before.
These have such amazing flavors, people that actually like turkey may not miss it. I only wish I had thought of these years ago - I never ate turkey.
I have also made a gluten free version that tastes just as good - simply using a gluten free pie crust. So yum!
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Garlic Pistachio Cranberry Tarts
Rich and colorful pillows of flavor, perfect the appetizer for watching the game, and all through the holiday season!
Ingredients
- 1+ cup raw pistachios, shelled
- water by the tablespoon, as needed
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- sea salt to taste
- vegan puff pastry shells (or Easy Vegan Pie Crust for gluten free)
- 6-7 tablespoons Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Instructions
- Reserve several (12) pistachios to use as garnish.
- Combine pistachios and 2 tablespoons water in blender, blend at highest speed until almost creamy.
- While blending, add garlic, onion powder and salt. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency, 1 tablespoon at a time. For this recipe, I wanted it thick enough to pipe into tart shells, and have used anywhere from 2-5 tablespoons.
- Cook tart shells / pie crust according to package.
- Pipe about 2 tablespoons garlic pistachio spread into each, and top with (about a tablespoon) ginger cranberry sauce and a pistachio.
- These are great served warm or room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 256Total Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 6g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
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Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
I've seen the Princess Bride a ton of times and while I do think some parts are funny, I don't really understand all the hype either so you're not alone.
As for these tarts, I want to throw a new years party now just to be able to serve these! They're super cute and I'm sure taste even better. Too bad all our friends have newborns this year and none want to leave their house. Lame.
spabettie says
aw! throw yourself a little party anyway? these tarts make a party. 😉 I'm going to give Princess Bride another shot, I really need to pay closer attention.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
I never got it either. Or Steel Magnolias. Someone needs to just pull my "girl card" already.
I DO get that pistachio spread! It looks like it would amazing in a pasta dish as well.
spabettie says
ha, girl card. I liked Steel Magnolias, but... just liked. 😉 It did get better as it went on (and I paid attention), and I can appreciate some of the funny. 😉 ooh, garlic pistachio pasta. YES.
Cara says
I think the appeal of The Princess Bride is really from childhood, you know? I mean, were I to watch Pee Wee's Big Adventure now as an adult, I would think: "Really Cara? You loved this movie as a kid?!!" (oh wait, bad example, I still like that movie--but you get my drift). It just sticks as a classic into adulthood and I would imagine were you to watch it for the first time as an adult, the lure would not be there as much. But the lure IS there for those tarts! Heck yeah--yee haw! 🙂
Cara says
P.S. Where in the world did you find GLUTEN FREE tart shells??? I must know immediately!
spabettie says
*sigh* I didn't. 🙁 (the pistachio spread is gluten free, but I untagged gf for this post - I am so used to everything being gf!) Jason and I are really the only people who are almost completely gluten free, so I made these knowing everyone else at the party would enjoy... and I did too... just felt puffy the next day.
it is on my list to attempt this, a gf puff pastry of sorts. sorry these aren't. (and if I ever find any, you will be the next to know!!) 😀
spabettie says
haa - I was going to say, I KNOW you HAVE to love Pee Wee. 😉
I'm going to watch again. Soon. If I still don't like it, I'll watch Pee Wee.
Cara says
You took my hopes up high only to squash them 🙁 *le sigh* A girl can dream... I'm with you wanting to attempt a homemade version of them, it's just that I read the directions and when it says: "Takes 16 hours to make" that is when I check out. I will put it on my to-do list for next year...
And hey, what do you mean you KNEW I love Pee Wee??? bahaha. I will accept that compliment with sheer delight 🙂 Please don't tell me you have never seen it... (This will destroy my perfect image of you)
jess @ cupcakes and kale says
i must have missed that twitter banter, but i can only imagine the teasing you got! as a little girl i grew up watching that movie often so it holds a soft spot in my heart, and i'm not gonna lie, i can recite almost the entire film word for word.
upon meeting my husband i discovered that he'd never seen it {gasp!} so i forced a viewing upon him and he didn't fall in love with it either. i really think that there's something about the nostalgia associated with the love of the princess bride, and other movies of the same time {willow, the goonies, etc}. but that scene with billy crystal & carol kane?? hilarious!!
also, LOVE the looks of these little bite-sized goodies! what brand of tart shells did you use?
spabettie says
I THINK they were Pepperidge Farm puff pastry shells (freezer section). Most of the things I see in the freezer or refrigerated sections are vegan, made with vegetable oils not butter. not ideal, and unfortunately not gluten free, but... every now and then, I'm okay!
the twitter and facebook "fallout" was pretty funny - people quoting their favorite lines, and just telling me they couldn't believe me. 🙂
Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit says
Wow, these tarts look amazing. But on to more important things - Princess Bride... I think it's like any show we watched when we were kids. We thought it was AWESOME then we watch it again as adults and we remember it being awesome, but aren't sure why. If I hadn't grown up watching Princess Bride once a day for a solid year at least, I would have to agree with you. I think the only reason I still like it is because I know I loved it when I was little!
spabettie says
ha - watching it once a day for a year... I was like that with some movies. it's really funny that I never saw this, I hear people talk about it more NOW then I remember hearing about it when I was a kid?? admittedly, I didn't watch a lot of television, and movies were usually at slumber parties. I don't know. the humor seems like my style, so I think I need to give it another chance.
Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli says
Haha! The Princess Bride berating made the blog! Love it! I think you really do need to give it a second chance....it's just one of those witty classics that's great for lazy Saturday afternoons!
Favorite quote (besides the little guy saying "Inconceivable!" all the time, is: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Hahaha!
These look PHENOMENAL girl! Wow....just WOW!!
spabettie says
ha - several people quoted that line to me. 😉 it was really funny seeing everyones responses. the next morning there were more! 🙂
and thanks, we like these too... kinda decadent from my normal eats, but... it's the holidays! 🙂
Lisa says
That looks amazing!
I am not a fan of the Princess Bride---I don't get it. Maybe it's one of those that is about nostalgia or something, and if you didn't watch it when you were young...it's just not all that appealing? I don't know---but I don't get it!
spabettie says
oh, good, Lisa B! I'm not the only one! 🙂 I'll be giving it another chance, though.
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
These look amazing! Haha I like the Princess Bride 🙂
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
Honestly, I don't know that I have ever seen it all the way through! I will say that these look fantastic. I just happen to need appetizer ideas for this weekend (helping a friend cater her party).
spabettie says
these would be perfect for this weekend - I may make them again too...
Jodie says
Fred Savage, of course!
Maybe it helps if you saw the movie as a kid when it first came out. Looking back, I'm not so sure I would love it if I first saw it today. 🙂
spabettie says
there were SO many great people in it, I will say that. I like Mandy Patinkin, myself. 😀