An extremely simple crowd-wower that’s meant to be served at room temp. As Micheal Scott would say - it’s a win win win
caramelized onion tarts with whipped goat cheese
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 15 pieces
Chef’s knife
Cutting board (not my exact one but very similar)
Rolling pin
Cheese grater
Hand mixer
Small ziploc bag
Pastry brush
For the tarts
1 sheet puffed pastry, thawed
1/2 cup caramelized onion jam
1 egg
1/3 cup grated parmesan
Fresh pepper
For the whipped goat cheese
8 oz plain goat cheese - room temp
2 tbsp heavy cream
Other
Fresh thyme to garnish
Make your tarts. Roll pastry into about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 2 to 3 inch squares (depending on what size circular object you can find). Use a circular object small enough to leave a decent border (I used a shot glass) to make an indent in the middle of the square - be sure not to press all the way through. Take a fork and poke holes within the circle (this prevents the inside from puffing up while the edges do).
Whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp cold water and use a pastry brush to brush each tart lightly. Spoon 1 tsp of onion jam into each circle. Sprinkle with parmesan and fresh pepper and place in fridge for about 15 minutes up to a couple hours while you preheat your oven to 400F. When ready, bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make your whipped goat cheese. Ensure goat cheese is fully at room temp. Place in a small bowl and use a hand mixer to beat on medium until it’s smoothed out a bit (about 1 minute). Add in 2 tbsp heavy cream and whip for another minute until you see stiff peaks form. Place a ziploc bag into a mug and spoon the goat cheese into the bag.
Cut a very small hole in the corner of your bag (start smaller and cut bigger if you need). Pipe cheese onto each tart (see photo above). Top with fresh thyme and serve.
Making ahead/storage:
make the tarts and whipped cheese separately up to 1 day out, and assemble as close to serving as possible. You want the tarts room temp anyway or the cheese won’t hold it’s shape.
store the tarts in a container on the counter and store the goat cheese right in the bag in the fridge, but be sure to bring the cheese to room temp before piping onto the tarts. The jam protects the tarts from being soggy, I’ve had mine (piped) the next day and while not super fresh they were still incredible.
Where to find caramelized onion jam: I get mine from Superstore if you’re in Canada (I know.. I don’t shop there as a rule but they do have one-off items I get like this). Divina also carries one and many jam companies have a version. If you’re really stuck, make your own caramelized onions (my how to guide is here), chop them up finely and mix with a bit of balsamic.
Anything else? Drop a comment below if you have any questions, and don’t forget to let me know if you make it!
I made these for Christmas Eve appetizers. They did indeed slap. Thanks so much, definitely a repeater recipe!