Onion Tartlets A La Monica Recipes

CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat and stir in onion. Pour in red wine to cover the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with sugar. Cook and stir until onions are tender and translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine heavy cream, mozzarella cheese, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Stir into onion mixture.
• Cut pie crusts into 3-inch circles using a cookie cutter. Place circles into the bottom of 12 muffin cups in a muffin tin.
• Spoon onion mixture evenly on top of the tart crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before popping tartlets out of the muffin tin.

ONION TARTLETS A LA MONICA

Steps:

• place the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor.
• add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse just until the dough comes together.
• turn the dough out onto a floured counter and roll it to a thickness of 1/8 inch.
• use a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or juice glass to punch out about 18 circles of dough.
• grease 2 regular 12 cup muffin tins.
• press each circle into 1 cup, gently pushing the dough part way up the side of each cup.
• (there will be some empty cups) chill the pastry in the muffin tins while you prepare the filling.
• heat the oil in a largenonstick skillet, add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they are soft and you are no longer crying.
• about 10 minutes stir in the sugar and continue cooking until the onions start to burn at any time.
• season the carmelized inions with salt and pepper to taste and set them aside.
• preheat the oven to 400 degrees divide the onion,mixture among the pastry shells beat the eggs with the fork in a measuring cup.
• beat in the milk carefully pour a tablespoon or so into each pastry shell.
• bake until the edges of the pastry turn golden brown and the filling is set.
• ,about 20 minutes.
• unmold tartlets by running a sharp knife around the edge and turning them gently onto a kitchen towel.
• serve the tatlets warm with champagne or a fancy cocktail-- this is not beer food!
• makes 18 tartlets.

FRENCH ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Spray both sides of bread. Wet your fingers with water or olive oil before pressing into cups to hep bread to form more easily and not break. Press bread into small 12 cup muffin tin.
• Place bread in oven and toast until golden, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and reserve.
• In a skillet, melt butter and oil. Add onions and bay leaf, season with thyme, salt and pepper.
• Cook onions until caramelized, 15-18 minutes.
• Turn broiler on.
• Place spoonfuls of cooked onions in toasted bread cups. Discard bay leaf. Cover onions with cheese and set tarts under hot broiler to bubble and brown cheese. Serve hot.

BALSAMIC ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Under medium to low heat, place olive oil and onions in a skillet and cook for 3 or 4 minutes so that onions begin to soften but not brown.
• Add 1/3 cup of chicken broth to the onions and continue to cook until the liquid evaporates. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add thyme and another 1/3 cup of broth, and cook until the liquid evaporates.
• Add the balsamic vinegar and the remaining broth, cooking until liquid evaporates. The final simmer takes about 12-15 minutes.
• The results will be soft and tender onions with a tart sauce that is slightly syrupy but not at all loose.
• To fill the Phyllo cups you can either use a pastry bag with a star tip or a teaspoon. If you are using cream cheese, allow it to soften a bit and mix with a tablesoon of milk.) Place a small amount of the yogurt or cream cheese in the shell filling about 1/3 to 1/2 way to the top. Top each with a spoonful of the onions.
• Bake the tartlets in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• To garnish, you can pipe little rosettes of yogurt or cream cheese on top and sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves.

ONION CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and salt. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes. Remove onions from heat and stir in pepper. Let cool slightly.
• Place the tarts on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom of each tart shell. Spoon onions into the shell and spread evenly. Sprinkle thyme over the onions. Brush the exposed crust of each tartlet with the egg wash. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake in a preheated 375 F oven until the onions have turned a rich golden brown; about 20 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature garnished with thyme sprigs.

SANDRA LEE'S SWEET ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes Set aside to cool.
• Unroll pie dough 1 at a time. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter and cut as many rounds as possible (about 14 to 16), reserving scraps repeat with second pie dough. Gather together scrap dough and cut out as many rounds as needed to make 36 in total. Fit dough rounds into cups of mini muffin pan. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, golden onion soup mix, and fines herbs. Set aside.
• Divide onions among tartlet shells, about 1/2 teaspoon each. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon of cheese. Stir egg mixture and fill tartlets. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

MUSHROOM ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter in mixer bowl.
• Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer.
• Turn to Speed 4 and beat about 1 minute.
• Stop and scrape bowl.
• Add 3/4 cup flour.
• Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute, or until well blended.
• Form mixture into ball.
• Wrap in waxed paper and chill 1 hour.
• Divide chilled dough into 24 pieces.
• Press each piece into greased miniature muffin cup.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 10" skillet over medium heat.
• Add mushrooms and onions.
• Cook and stir til tender.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Place egg, remaining 1 tablespoon flour and thyme in clean mixer bowl.
• Using the flat beater, turn to Speed 6 and beat about 30 seconds.
• Stir in cheese and cooled mushroom mixture.
• Spoon into pastry-lined muffin cups.
• Bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes, or until egg mixture is puffed and golden brown.
• Serve warm.

LEEK AND ONION TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• In a large skillet over med-low heat, melt the butter.
• Add the leeks and onion and stir constantly.
• Cook until soft, 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together.
• Stir the cooled onion mixture into the egg mixture.
• Divide among the tartlet shells.
• Place the tarts on a baking sheet and bake until the custard sets, about 10-15 minutes.
• Serve the tartlets warm or at room temperature.
• **May add crab--1/4 cup picked over lump crabmeat, coarsely chopped; add a scant 1/4 teaspoon crabmeat to each phyllo shell before you spoon in the custard mixture; bake as directed; top with creme fraiche and a touch of caviar, if you like.