CAMBOZOLA ONION TARTS

 

I had another sleeve of puff pastry, and I had seen a version of this on Instagrm, so I decided I would make it as the appetizer for dinner with our neighbors.  OMG, this took 10 minutes to assemble, and it was delicious!  Cambozola cheese is is triple cream cheese with a hint of blue cheese.  Any melting cheese would work, and I have bought Brie to try next time for my friends who don't like blue cheese, but the blue with the onion and hot honey paired so well together that it will be hard to make it any other way.  It is essentially puff pastry with a slice of red onion, topped with a yummy melting cheese and drizzled with hot honey.  So head to Trader Joe's and stock up on their puff pastry before they are gone and make this easy but impressive and extremely yummy appetizer.   (Need I remind you that TJ's puff pastry is one of the few out there made with butter and at less than half the price of the others -- and it is seasonal.  Luckily this Christmas they overstocked in Austin, so I was able to buy more yesterday.  I now have a dozen in my freezer and only hope they last me now that I have discovered what easy and wonderful recipes I can make with it!)

6 slices red onion, cut in half

Olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 sleeve puff pastry, thawed but cold

Cambozola cheese *

1/4 c Honey

Aleppo Pepper

Fresh thyme, optiional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet, lined with parchment, place the onion as pictured above.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

On a floured board roll out the puff pastry into a 10" square.  Cut it in half and then cut each half into 3 equal rectangles, giving you 6 pieces of pastry.  Poke each one with a fork, making lots of holes so that the pastry won't puff too much.  Lay each rectangle over a slice of the onion on the baking sheet and press the sides down so that the outside edges and the area around the onion are flat.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Meanwhile put the cheese in the freezer for the first 15 minutes the pastry is in the oven.  This will make it easier to slice.  Before you take the pastry out of the oven, slice the cheese into enough slices to cover the onion.  I cut 6 slices but didn't really use all of them.  Immediately when the pastry comes out of the oven lay the cheese on top of the onions and press slightly so it will begin to melt the cheese a litte.

Heat the honey in the microwave with a small amount of Aleppo Pepper, depending on how much spice you like.  I had Mike's Hot Honey so I used that, but it didn't have enough spice, so I have now bought Aleppo pepper to use next time.  I will probably start out with about 1/2 t pepper and then adjust it according to our taste.  Drizzle over the pastry.  Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme if you prefer and serve. I forgot to do it and didn't miss it at all but will try to remember next time!

*Any melting cheese will work.  Brie would be another good choice.