Caramelised Onion & Mushroom Tarts - ideal finger food

[judydawn]

Name of Recipe: Caramelised Onion & Mushroom Tarts - a New Idea recipe
Number of People: Makes 24 bite sized tarts
Ingredients:
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tblspns Olive Oil
100g button mushrooms, finely sliced.  If bigger, cut in half then slice.
2 tspns finely chopped fresh thyme
1 onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
1 tblspn balsamic vinegar
2 tblspns brown sugar
S & P to taste (remembering feta can be salty)
2 eggs - I used very large eggs
80g thickened cream (1/4 cup)
50g feta, crumbled
Fresh thyme to garnish

Preparation:
Grease a 24 hole mini muffin pan (1.5 tblspn capacity) - I used butter.
Using a 6.5cm round cutter, cut out 24 rounds from pastry sheets.  Press into pan holes then refrigerate.

Heat half the oil in the TM bowl 1 min/100^o.
Add the mushrooms and thyme.
Cook 5 mins/100^o/reverse/speed 1.
Strain into a bowl through a sieve and set aside. Discard any liquid.

Heat remaining oil for 30 sec/100^o.
Add onions and cook for 10 mins/90^o/reverse/speed 1/ MC on.
Scrape down sides halfway through.
Add vinegar & sugar.
Cook 9 mins/varoma temperature/reverse/speed 1/MC off.
Place mushrooms back into the bowl, season to taste and mix 30 sec/reverse/speed 1.

At this stage, preheat the oven to 200^oC Fan forced.

Tip mixture into a soup bowl for ease of handling.  No need to rinse the TM bowl.

Remove pastry cases from the fridge and place 1 scant tspn of mixture into each tart. If you place the bowl on a bit of an angle any liquid will drain to one side of the bowl - you don't want any of the liquid in the cases.
Beat 2 eggs in the TM bowl 5 sec/speed 5.
Add the cream and mix a further 5 sec/speed 5.
Pour mixture into a small jug and fill the tarts to just under the top edge of the pastry. Once they are all done, any remaining liquid can be used to top up the tarts but do not let it overflow.
Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the top of the tarts.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Mine were perfect in 15 minutes.
Cool slightly before removing from the trays and finish cooling on a wire rack if they are not going to be eaten immediately.
Serve garnished with fresh thyme.

Photos:

Tips/Hints:

These freeze very well and can be reheated from the frozen state.  I made a batch, vacuum packed them and froze them for 5 weeks. It's best to cook them for a little less time (before they become too brown) if intending to freeze and reheat later.

Variations to this recipe from those who tried it.

Chookie - The cases could also be filled with creamed corn and bacon or smoked oysters mixed with a little white sauce.
 
JulieO – in no need for making the little tarts, I made it in my long tart tin.  I used 130g mushrooms, the rest as in the recipe and it worked a treat.  I guess the only other change was I used marinated feta, not sure how much: whatever was left in the bottle, I just drained and crumbled up over the tart, herbs, pepper and all.
I baked for 25 minutes then removed from tart tin and put back for another 5 mins.
 
Nikkit – I also made up a batch of the onion/mushy mixture and we had it on pizzas as a base instead of tomato paste with prawns and feta.
 
Mab 19 - I made mine a little larger so only got 18, then used the extra pastry and custard to make some with left over ham from a pizza, small tomatoes from the garden and grated tasty cheese.  The kids preferred these so all the more of the others for DH and me.
 
Courton  & Brumington – have made with short crust pastry.
 
Greenie – I make a little finger food tart with caramelised onion that my kids call mini-pizzas.  A round of short crust pastry, par-baked, topped with caramelised red onion (with balsamic and brown sugar), topped  with chevre or sheep’s feta  & reheated then sprinkled with lemon zest & lemon thyme.  Pretty fancy mini-pizzas!
 
Greyhoundmum – I added some basil and some parmesan too.
 
Kimmyh - Used with cookies cream cheese pastry in a 20cm round quiche tin.
 
McMich – I always have these in the freezer.  Took some into work (0600) straight from the freezer and by smoko (0900) they were defrosted  Everyone at work just eats them cold, no one heats them up.
 
Past94x – I don’t like feta so used grated cheddar instead.
 
GF –  Made a successful batch using Coles simply gluten free puff pastry.

[Amanda]

Oh lordy, Judy, I'd crawl over broken glass for caramelised onions!
I've just discovered that they can be done in bulk in the slow cooker and very nicely frozen, too.

[cookie1]

Judy they will be so good for all the Christmas/New Year drinks times. 

[maddy]

Yum!  Has all my favourite stuff 
I might use my rectangle tart tin to make a big one.

[judydawn]

Amanda, when you do that SC recipe for caramelised onions, you will have to post it here in our new Non-TMX recipes.

Good idea maddy, we don't need tiny tarts very often but with the Christmas season upon us, Cookie is right - these would be perfect.

[JulieO]

They look gorgeous Judy, I like Maddy's idea too of making one long tart, good thinking 99!   

[Halex]

JD, you are giving these too guests, theybwoudnt hsve lasted thecday in our house, we woukd have all picked at them. Jst shiwn them to DH and his comment was, wow they look good, why arent you the size f a house with all your good cooking.

Been suggested.....I coukd make sime too.

H

[Halex]

Maddy, i have a  rectangular tart tin, so please let me know how you go.

H

[judydawn]

Hally, there is one missing if you look closely at the picture.  DH and I shared one - one bite each.  Well, you can't serve food to visitors that you haven't tried can you     I don't think I have ever known a lad to show so much interest in what people are cooking - does he dabble in the kitchen himself?  I think it's time if he doesn't.

[Halex]

Yes your right  1 gone, we would have taken the row, snd prob the next one.

Ds loves cooking, dh loves eating, he shows interest but always at the wrong time,  ie on my death bed, leaving in 5 to go to a party, or just before friends arrive, it must be his plan. Always wanting instructions when we have no time. Typical.....

He does 4 dishes, 1 per year, rememer our goulash chalenge?

H

[andiesenji]

Amanda, when you do that SC recipe for caramelised onions, you will have to post it here in our new Non-TMX recipes.

Good idea maddy, we don't need tiny tarts very often but with the Christmas season upon us, Cookie is right - these would be perfect.

If you would like more information (as well as a posted recipe from Amanda) check out this link to the extensive discussion about
Onion Confit  on the other forum on which I am a regular reader/contributor.
The topic runs for 20 pages.  I think I chimed in about page 10  and most of the early posts lost the photos when the forum switched hosts.

This page  has a series of photos start-to-finish in  post # 363 - the author was Fifi, a dear friend who passed away a couple of years ago. 

I know it will take some time to even skim through it but there are some fantastic ideas and interesting variations as well as some ways to use it and serve it that have probably not occurred to you.  (post # 395 on page 14.

Another series of step-by-step photos are on page 15.

On page 17, down near the bottom, is a photo of a pizza made with onion confit.

[achookwoman]

Judy, these look great.  I have several small packs of Caramelised onions in the freezer , vacuum packed.  Will give them a go.  The cases could also be filled with creamed corn and bacon or smoked oysters mixed with a little white sauce.

[judydawn]

Thanks andie, I checked out the link and pages you mentioned.  That quantity made my little bit cooked for these tarts look pathetic but I must say that this recipe had the taste and colour of the long cooked version in no time at all.

[judydawn]

Thanks Chookie, yes I'm sure the sky's the limit with these tarts and that the caramelised onions are the star.

[Halex]

Judy, hw long did the process take from start to finish?

I just cant wait to try them
H