Ingredients
****Makes 24 small Hors d’Oeuvres
*For 12 pastries, thaw 1 sheet and halve the rest of the ingredients!
1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry sheets– Pepperidge Farms
3 Tbs olive oil plus more for brushing or drizzling over the pastries
3 medium yellow onions-sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ cup dry white wine -Chardonnay
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus micro planed for garnish
3-4 ounces herb goat cheese- I use Boursin Garlic & Herb
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in rings thinly
7-10 leaves of basil, julienned
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Flour for dusting
Directions
Defrost the puff pastry sheets overnight in the refrigerator. Unfold the sheets of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the sheets to 12 x 12 in size. Cut 12 3-4 inch circles per sheet (24 total with 2 sheets) and discard any scraps.
Make an inner circle about 1/16 inch in from the outside edge by cutting the pastry but don’t cut all the way through the dough- just score the dough. This will allow the dough to rise and to form a crust. Inside the inner circle using the tip of a fork pierce the dough 10 times to allow air to escape in the inside circle. Place the circles on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until it is time to use them.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Over a medium heat, warm the three tablespoons of olive oil and add the onions. Sauté the onions for about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally until caramelized and there is no moisture in the skillet. When the onions are caramelized, add the garlic to the onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Add the ¼ cup of white wine and then add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the minced thyme. Continue to cook for 3-8 minutes more and all the moisture has evaporated again. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the pastry circles from the refrigerator. Distributing evenly among the 24 pastries, sprinkle the grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the inner circle.
Divide the onion mixture evenly among each of the pastries and place on top of the parmesan cheese but stay within the inner scored edge.
Next, crumble and divide the goat cheese among the pastries and place on top of the onion mixture.
Then take a few slices of the tomatoes and lay two slices on the goat cheese. Brush or drizzle the tomatoes with a little olive oil using a pastry brush.
Finally, distribute evenly among the pastries the julienned basil and season each pastry with a little fresh ground pepper.
Using a micro-plane, grate the parmesan cheese and a sprinkle over each pastry as a final decoration and fantastic topping flavor.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, the pastry will be a golden in color. Halfway through baking switch the sheets by rotating 180 degrees and swapping the bottom and top sheets for even baking.
*** They can be prepared 24 hours in advance uncooked and assembled except don’t brush with olive oil, basil pepper or micro-planed cheese until they ready to be placed in the oven. In order for the pasty to puff, they need to be cold!
