World Dessert Champ Laurie Figone Shares Holiday Recipe

MADE IN PETALUMA: Savory Holiday Apple Tarts are sure to be a big hit at your next holiday gathering

Laurie Figone looking out over her familys ranch just outside of Petaluma
Laurie Figone looking out over her family’s ranch just outside of Petaluma, Photo By Ashley Collingwood

If you wish to learn more about Laurie check out our previous posts:

Also a great gift idea for Christmas this year is her NEW cookbook: Cooking with Laurie Figone

Click here to order her new recipe bookCooking With Laurie Figone Cookbook

Here is a great appetizer you can impress your guests with this year over the holidays.

Savory Holiday Apple TartsSavory Holiday Apple Tarts

Simple savory crunchy bites are sure to be a hit at your next gathering! Crisp bits of pesto coated apples paired with a creamy, smokey cheddar cheese filling.

Servings: 30
Cook Time: 3 Minutes
Ingredients:
  • 3 TBSP pesto
  • 2 cups petite diced apples
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 2 oz. smoked cheddar cheese (Laurie prefers Spring Hill Jersey brand)
  • 1 TBSP butter, room temperature 
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
  • 30 mini Phyllo pastry shells, prebaked
  1. In a small mixing bowl mix together diced apples and fresh pesto until apples are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
  2. In a small mixing bowl; beat cream cheese until smooth. Add shredded cheddar, butter, lemon juice and smoked paprika and beat for 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
  3. Remove shells from the freezer. Preheat oven to 350′. When oven is heated; place shells on a baking sheet and fill each one with 1 tsp. of the cheese mixture. Bake for three minutes; or until warmed through and puffed. Remove from oven and spoon 1 TBSP. of the pesto apples on top of each tart.
  4. Serve.


Interview: Local Girl Makes Good Food! #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone is the World Dessert Champ

Last year Laurie Figone, born and raised on a ranch just outside of Petaluma, was declared the 2014 World Dessert Champion. In the last five years Figone has made a name for herself in the cooking world, where she shows her Petaluma pride by using local products. Figone has also been on the NBC TODAY Show and on TNT with Emeril Lagasse and Ty Pennington. For more information on that see our previous posts about Laurie  VIDEO UPDATE: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone gets her shot on the big screen on TNT’s “On The Menu” and  VIDEO: #Petaluma’s Laurie Figone Appears on Good Day Sacramento.

Laurie Figone grew up on her family's ranch and always enjoys coming back
Laurie Figone grew up on her familys ranch and always enjoys coming back

Growing up on a ranch and having large weekly family dinners with at least 30 people gave Figone a passion for cooking and food. Figone speaks fondly about these dinners saying, “My grandmother loved doing all the cooking … I, growing up, wanted to be down at the barn feeding calves but my mother kept me in the house. I hated it at the time but now I have to say I thank her because … I’ve just won another World Championship with my cooking and I never imagined any of this, truthfully.”

Taste of Home 2010 is the first cookbook in which one of Laurie Figones recipe’s was published
Taste of Home 2010 is the first cookbook in which one of Laurie Figones recipe’s was published

Figone’s professional cooking started five years ago when a neighbor helped her realize her talent. Figone was baking focaccia bread for one of her neighbors to take to work and soon her neighbor’s coworkers were requesting and buying Figone’s focaccia. Figone then secretly submitted her focaccia recipe to Taste of Homes recipe contest and won. It was her first published recipe and the start of her cooking career.

The next step for Figone was participating in her first live cooking competition at the Gilroy Garlic Festival where she, again, won. From there things took off and she went on the NBC TODAY Show for their burger battle and to the Annual Bob’s Red Mill Spar for the Spurtle where she won and was sent to Scotland for the Annual World Porridge Making On The Menu Hosts Ty Pennington and Emeril LagasseChampionship. In the last year Figone was on TNT’s reality show On the Menu with Emeril Lagasse and Ty Pennington.

CLICK HERE OR PAGE 2 BELOW TO GET LAURIE’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY BAKED CORNED BEEF WITH A KICK RECIPE AND VIDEOS