Caramelized Onion Tart

A quick post today to join in with Penny's Tasty Tuesday. 

This is a great little appetizer to serve while the main dish is being grilled (or cooked in some other way.) The combination of onions and thyme is wonderful, with the onions soft from gentle cooking. Make the onions ahead and bake this at the last minute for a crisp pastry.

Caramelized Onion Tart

1 package puff pastry
4 large yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into slices
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Romano or Asiago)
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pastry (or cut the pre-rolled sheets) into two strips, each about 15 inches long and 5 inches wide. Place each strip onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pre-bake the strips for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. The pastry will puff up dramatically, then fall.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and gently stir and cook them down. They shouldn't brown, but will slowly soften and caramelize. When they are completely softened and limp, sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spoon the onions onto the pastry - if it's still puffy, just poke it with a fork and pile on the onions. 

Sprinkle with the cheese and thyme leaves. Bake 10 minutes longer. Cut into crosswise pieces about 2 inches wide to serve. Let cool slightly before serving.

Check out Penny's The Comforts of Home blog for more deliciousness. 
 

Tasty Tuesday: Rosemary Parmesan Coins

When we have guests, I like to serve a drink and some nibbles while I finish the dinner preparations. I shared this recipe last summer on my recipe blog. It's one I've made many times. These little crispy bites are full of buttery, cheesy, herby flavor with a hint of lemon. Not difficult at all to prepare, the rolls of unbaked dough can be well wrapped and frozen, then pulled out when needed and baked. Beware - these are addictive.

Rosemary Parmesan Coins

1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup lightly packed grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. (See note below if you don't have a food processor.) Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir together the egg yolk and lemon juice. Drizzle over the flour mixture. Pulse until small moist crumbs begin to form. 

Turn the mixture out onto an unfloured work surface. Work the dough (it will look like a pile of crumbs), smearing onto the counter and mashing it together until it forms a cohesive dough. Shape into a 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic. Chill for an hour or more. Slice 1/4 inch thick and place on parchment lined baking sheets. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Watch carefully for the last few minutes as they can burn quickly.

After wrapping in plastic, the dough can be frozen. Thaw slightly at room temperature to slice and bake.

Linking to Tasty Tuesday, hosted by Penny of The Comforts of Home.

edited to add: Several readers have asked if this could be made without a food processor. Certainly. I would suggest adding the butter with your fingers, or a pastry cutter, then adding the remaining ingredients. The mixture is crumbly anyway and needs hand kneading to make it come together.  

Apple Crisp with Custard Sauce

Spring might be on the way, but the air is still chilly and winter seems to be lingering like an unwelcome guest in some parts of the country. This dessert is welcome in the fall, winter, or on cool spring days, and great for using up apples that are softer now than in October. 

Apple crisps are often served with ice cream, but a Custard Sauce, also known as Crème Anglaise, is mellow with vanilla and can be served warm or cold. I like it warm. Pools of mellow vanilla sauce, soft apples, and a crisp topping meld together for a dessert that is warm and comforting.

I'm linking this to Penny's Tasty Tuesday, at her blog The Comforts of Home. There are lots of yummy recipes shared each week. Check it out!

Apple Crisp

4 cups sliced pared apples
2/3 - 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I use the lesser amount)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/3 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place apple slices in 8 inch square pan (or use individual dishes). Mix remaining ingredients with fingers, until mixture is crumbly, with the butter evenly distributed. Sprinkle over the apples. 
Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with custard sauce.

Crème Anglaise aka Custard Sauce

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) (or use 1 cup of light cream in place of the milk and heavy cream)
dash salt
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan until just hot. (Steam should rise from the milk, but it shouldn't boil.) Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar with the salt. Add a small amount of the hot milk to the eggs, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly - about 175 degrees. The mixture should not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain mixture into a glass or metal bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper onto the top of the sauce to prevent a skin forming. Chill. (Will keep up to 3 days.)  

Bavarian Apple Torte

Apple desserts - yum! I first tasted this torte at the home of my cousin Caroline and was happy to see it show up in a family cookbook a few years later. Not overly sweet, but just sweet enough. Apples, cream cheese, cinnamon, and almonds on an easy crust. This really is easier than apple pie. 

Layer One:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in flour to make a soft dough. Spread or press on bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Layer Two:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Pour onto pastry in pan.

Layer Three:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups peeled, sliced apples (I used three Spartan apples and had just the right amount to fit on the pan - I didn't measure them)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, add the apples and toss together. Arrange on cream cheese layer and sprinkle almonds on top. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then increase baking temperature to 400 degrees and bake until the apples are tender, about 25 minutes more. If the almonds begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Cool slightly. Remove from pan, loosening edges with a knife first. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

I'm joining in with Penny at The Comforts of Home for Tasty Tuesday.