Mini Tomato and Goat Cheese Burgers

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• For the buns:
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. almond flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• For the tomato filling:
• 2 tomatoes, about 1/2 lb. total, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped shallot
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• For the cheese filling:
• 1/2 cup soft mild goat cheese, at room temperature
• 5 Tbs. mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 24 small fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

To prepare the buns, in a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Whisk in the egg whites until combined. While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until the buns are pale golden and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the buns out onto the rack and let cool completely.

To make the tomato filling, in a small bowl, stir together the diced fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper.

To make the cheese filling, in another small bowl, stir together the goat cheese, mascarpone, chives and salt.

To assemble the mini burgers, using a serrated knife, cut the buns in half horizontally. Spread 1 tsp. tomato filling on each bottom bun and top with a basil leaf. Spread 1 tsp. cheese filling on the inside of each top bun and cover the burgers. Makes 24 mini burgers.