Canapé ideas: caramelised onion and brie tartlets
Ingredients – makes 20-24
For the pastry
180g butter, chilled
75g grated parmesan
2 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
225g plain flour
For the filling
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large red onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp caster sugar
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
60g brie wedge, cubed into 1cm chunks
Method:
1. To make the pastry, put the butter, parmesan, salt and egg yolks in a food processor and blitz. Blend in the flour and work into a dough. Chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Now for the onion marmalade. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add sugar, thyme and balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until caramelised. Set aside to cool.
5. Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll it out on a floured surface, lifting and turning the pastry occasionally.
6. Use a cutter to punch discs from the rolled pastry. An upturned glass with the right diameter also works.
7. Get your mini tart pan ready, either non stick or already greased.
8. Use your fingers to work in each pastry disc. Pleat the edges of the dough circle, thereby creating a pocket that sinks into this tartlet case. Shape gently inward and trim edges neatly by pinching off excess with your fingers.
9. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Pierce bases with a fork and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
10. Remove your pastry tray from the oven and place a teaspoon of the onion mixture inside each pastry cup.
11. Top with a 1cm cube of brie and bake for another 5 minutes.
12. Serve immediately and garnish with micro herbs or cress. We served ours on these oak placemats – nice, hey?
If you have any leftover pastry, wrap it up in some cling film and pop it in the freezer for when you next wish to whip up these tasty morsels.
These guys really steal the show.