Description

Halloween Jack Skellington Ricotta Olive Tarts are delightful gluten-free mini tartlets featuring a crisp, flaky crust filled with a creamy ricotta mixture and topped with black olives and sun-dried tomatoes to create a spooky Jack Skellington face. Perfect for festive occasions, these savory tarts combine unique flavors and charming presentation for a memorable appetizer or snack.

Ingredients

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Gluten-Free Tart Crust

½ cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup millet flour
⅓ cup gluten-free oat flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
5-7 tablespoons ice water

Filling

1 can black olives
3-4 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1½ cups ricotta cheese
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
3 egg whites
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

Prepare the crust: Whisk together the sweet rice flour, millet flour, gluten-free oat flour, tapioca flour, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter pieces and mix with your hands, breaking up the butter until the largest pieces are about the size of a pea. Gradually add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing each time until the dough holds together when pinched.
Chill the dough: Divide the dough into 6 to 8 pieces, roll each into a ball and flatten into a disc, then wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven and roll out dough: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out each dough disc between two pieces of parchment paper dusted with millet flour until it is 1 inch larger than your tart pan all around. Peel off one parchment and flip the crust into the tart pan, peel off second parchment and press the dough gently into the pan. Repeat for all tartlets.
Prepare the filling toppings: Thinly slice 6 black olives into very thin strips for the mouth, and cut 12-14 ovals for the nose. Chop 3-4 tablespoons of black olives and set aside.
Assemble tart bases: Distribute chopped olives evenly among the tart shells, top each with 3-5 julienned sun-dried tomato strips, sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and divide parmesan cheese over each tart. Bake for 12 minutes until crust is lightly cooked.
Mix the ricotta filling: Whisk together ricotta, Greek yogurt, egg whites, minced garlic, and kosher salt until smooth.
Fill and decorate the tarts: Remove tart shells from oven and fill each to the top with the ricotta mixture. Place two whole olives for eyes and two small olive ovals for the nose on each tart. Use the thin olive strips to create a criss-cross mouth shape delicately using chopsticks or tweezers.
Bake the filled tarts: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the ricotta filling is set. Check at 15 minutes depending on tart size. Serve warm.
Reheat instructions: To reheat, bake at 400°F for 7 minutes before serving.

Notes

For best results, chill the dough thoroughly before rolling to prevent sticking.
If gluten-free oat flour is unavailable, grind rolled oats in a food processor to make your own.
Use cold butter to achieve a flaky crust.
The thin olive slices for the mouth are easier to place with chopsticks or tweezers.
Check the ricotta filling for doneness starting at 15 minutes to avoid overbaking.
The tart pans should be about 3-4 inches diameter for appropriate size tarts.
Store leftover tarts in the refrigerator and reheat as per instructions for best flavor.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 tart
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 220 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg