A bite size-twist on the classic French Provençal Pissaladière, these tartlets save you plenty of time in the kitchen by using frozen puff pastry sheets. I love the flavor of red onion for this recipe, which sweetens as you cook it. Before a big dinner I find it’s best to limit the number of appetizers. Tasty and impressive, you can easily serve these bites as a lone appetizer with cocktails or glasses of bubbly to hold guests over until the meal.
If you have any caramelized onions left over, save them for an omelette along with a little grated Swiss-style cheese.
Caramelized Onion and Olive Tartlets
Makes 32 tartlets
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds red onions, thinly sliced (from 3 to 4 large red onions)
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (*see note at bottom of recipe for thawing tips)
16 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line two rimmed baking or half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Melt butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onions, thyme sprigs and 2 large pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and soft, about 35 to 40 minutes. Reduce heat if onions begin crisp and turn a dark color. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Taste onions for seasoning and adjust as you see fit, keeping in mind the olives will add a bit of saltiness to the tartlets.
Meanwhile, place thawed puff pastry sheets on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut each pastry sheet into 16 squares. Transfer squares to prepared baking sheets, with 16 squares per sheet. Using a sharp paring knife, score a small square inside the tartlet, 1/4-inch from the edges. If the squares get too soft, pop the puff pastry in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill.
Bake until tartlet pastry begins to puff and barely turn a light golden color, about 12 to 15 minutes. Allow tartlets to slightly cool.
Place 1 rounded teaspoon of caramelized onions on the tartlets, within the scored border. Top each onion tartlet with 1 olive half. Bake tartlets until they just begin to turn golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
Remove tartlets from oven and top each with some fresh thyme leaves. Let cool slightly and serve.
*To quickly thaw puff pastry, remove folded sheets from box and plastic and set on a cutting board at room temperature for about 30 to 40 minutes. Unfold when pastry has thawed.
*For overnight thaw, place box of puff pastry sheets in refrigerator overnight. Remove sheets from refrigerator and box when ready to use.
See more recipes from our Autumn Appetizers Crate.