Blackberry and Bacon Caramelized Onion Tartlets
Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Serves: 8
This bite-sized appetizer has three easy, make-ahead components that are assembled just before serving. Try this sweet and salty combination for a special brunch hors d'oeuvre. Or serve them as finger foods at an informal get-together.
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
About 1 hour
Serves:
8
Perfect for:
Afternoon Snacks
Bookclub Bites
Cocktail Parties
Finger Foods
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Dough
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
Maple-Glazed Bacon
- 4 bacon slices, preferably maple cured
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
- Freshly ground black pepper
Caramelized Onions
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- 1 package (6 ounces) Driscoll's Blackberries, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, thinly sliced
Directions
Cream Cheese Dough
- PLACE 1 cup all purpose flour into a food processor.
- ADD 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- PULSE to combine.
- ADD 7 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- ADD 3 ounces cream cheese.
- PULSE about 10 times until mixture begins to clump together.
- FORM dough into a disk and WRAP in plastic wrap.
- REFRIGERATE dough until chilled and easy to handle, about 2 hours.
- POSITION oven rack in center of oven.
- PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
- BUTTER or COAT with cooking spray the wells of 2 miniature muffin pans.
- DIVIDE dough into 24 equal sized balls.
- PLACE 1 dough ball into each well.
- PRESS dough balls into bottoms and up sides of wells. (A wooden tart tamper can help the job go quickly.)
- PIERCE bottoms of tart shells with a fork.
- CHILL 5 minutes in freezer.
- BAKE 10 – 12 minutes or until shells are golden brown.
- ALLOW shells to cool in pans 5 minutes.
- REMOVE shells from pans and ALLOW to cool completely. (Pastry shells can be stored in a covered container for up to 1 day.)
Maple-Glazed Bacon
- PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
- COVER a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- ARRANGE 4 bacon slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
- BAKE 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp.
- POUR OFF fat from baking sheet.
- BRUSH half of 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup over bacon strips.
- BAKE about 2 ½ minutes until glazed.
- FLIP bacon slices and BRUSH with remaining maple syrup.
- GRIND black pepper over bacon slices.
- BAKE about 2 minutes until glazed.
- TRANSFER bacon slices to cutting board and ALLOW to cool until safe to handle.
- CUT each bacon strip crosswise into six pieces. (Bacon can be held at room temperature for 2 hours.)
Caramelized Onions
- POUR 2 tablespoons canola oil into a large non-stick skillet.
- ADD 2 chopped medium yellow onions.
- COOK over medium-high about 5 minutes until softened and STIR occasionally.
- REDUCE heat to medium-low and COOK 30 – 45 minutes until dark brown and STIR occasionally.
- SEASON with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Onions can be prepared 4 hours before serving)
Assembly
- SPOON caramelized onions into each tart shell.
- GARNISH each tartlet with 2 – 3 blackberry pieces.
- PLACE 1 piece maple glazed bacon on its side between berries.
- PLACE 1 piece sliced sage next to bacon pieces.
- SERVE immediately.
