Goats Cheese Red Onion Pine Nut Freezer Tartlets Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter and cut out 12 rounds from 2 sheets of puff pastry. Take a 12 hole mini muffin pan and place rounds of dough into each hole, pressing gently to form a cup and giving room for the filling. Cover with plastic wrap and keep the prepared pan in the refrigerator or freezer (depends how long until you need it).
• In a skillet add butter and oil. Throw in the onions and cook gently until softened and caramelized, stirring frequently for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooked add the scallions and chives. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a bowl whisk together the egg, cream, and salt. Add the cooked onions to the custard, stirring thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pastry cups with a spoon. Break up the goat cheese and place on top of tarts. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

Steps:

• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Cook to a dark caramel, occasionally swirling the pan gently to help melt any remaining sugar and get an even colour. Add the vinegar, stir to combine, and pour into the tray, spreading it out. Leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add a splash of oil to an ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Lay the onions cut-side down and fry until blackened and just starting to burn, about 5 mins. Add the thyme sprigs, then transfer to the oven and bake for 25 mins. Once the onions are tender, remove from the pan. Space them out evenly, cut-side down, on the caramel and leave to cool.
• Once the onions are cool, cut the pastry into six equal discs, each large enough to cover an onion half. Cover the onions with the pastry, tucking it under slightly. Put the tray in the fridge for 1 hr so that the pastry firms up a bit.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the onion tarts for 20 mins, then reduce heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 10 mins more.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, turn the tarts so the onions are now facing up. Lay a slice of goat's cheese on top of each and bake for a further 10 mins. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over a few thyme leaves to serve.

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
• You will also need eight 3½ inch (9 cm) diameter x 1 inch (2.5 cm) high mini flan tins, greased, and a 5 inch (13 cm) pastry cutter or plate to cut around.
• First make up the pastry by rubbing the butter lightly on to the flour, then adding the cheese, mustard and cayenne plus just enough cold water to make a smooth dough. Then place the dough in a polythene bag to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. After that, roll it out as thinly as possible and use a 5 inch (13 cm) cutter, or a saucer or something similar, to stamp out 8 rounds. Line the greased tins with them, then bake in the oven, centre shelf, for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through but not coloured. Then cool the pastry cases on a wire rack and store them in an airtight tin until they are needed.
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a heavy-based, medium-sized saucepan, stir in the onions, balsamic vinegar and chopped sage, season and let everything cook very gently without a lid, stirring often, for about 30 minutes until they have reduced down and taken on a lovely glazed appearance and all the excess liquid has evaporated away. Then let the mixture cool until you are ready to make the tarts.
• To bake them, brush a little beaten egg on to each pastry case, pop them back into the oven, same temperature as above, for 5 minutes - this helps to provide a seal for the pastry and helps it from becoming soggy. Now spoon the onion mixture into the cases. Top each one with a slice of goats' cheese and a sage leaf that has first been dipped into olive oil. Finally sprinkle with a little cayenne and bake for 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry so it is large enough to fit a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, then line the tin with the pastry. Chill for 30 mins. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans and return the tin to the oven for 5 mins until golden, then remove and set aside. Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and potato and cook over a very gentle heat for 10-15 mins, turning occasionally, until golden and tender. Season if you want to, then add the garlic and thyme leaves, and cook for a further 3 mins. Tip into the pastry case along with the goat's cheese and spread out evenly.
• Whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together, season if you want to, then pour into the pastry case and bake for 30-35 mins until lightly golden brown and just set in the centre. Serve warm, with rocket leaves scattered over if using.