This puff pastry recipe is easily scalable for various occasions. The only prerequisite is having caramelized onions on hand, a big batch of which can be conveniently prepared in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer for future use.
Wine Pairing Recommendations
The beauty of this puff pastry appetizer is that it pairs well with so many wine options. Opt for a Côtes du Rhône for an upscale red pairing, or consider Grenache or Montepulciano for a more budget-friendly choice. White wine enthusiasts will unquestionably enjoy the exquisite match of this appetizer with an Alsatian Riesling, while Alsatian Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris also complement these puff pastry tartlets beautifully. For those with a penchant for sweetness, Late Harvest wine is an excellent selection.
Recipe at a glance
| Course: Appetizer | Cuisine: Mediterranean | Servings: 2 |
| Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min |
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry dough
- 12 tsp. caramelized onions
- 8.8 oz. brie or camembert cheese 200 g
- ½ lb. thick-cut or preferably, uncut bacon (250 g)
How to make caramelized onions
This recipe has just the answer: How to Caramelize Onions the Correct Way
What is puff pastry?
- Puff pastry is a light, flaky, and buttery pastry that is widely used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is known for its delicate layers that puff up during baking, resulting in a crisp and airy texture. The key to the unique characteristics of puff pastry lies in the process of laminating, where layers of butter are folded into the dough multiple times.
- The process of making puff pastry is quite time consuming. While it is possible to make puff pastry at home, most home cooks choose to use store-bought puff pastry in their creations.
- Unsurprisingly, puff pastry is incredibly versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Common applications include pies, tarts, pastries, turnovers, and various appetizers.
Tips for Working with Puff Pastry
- Keep puff pastry dough and ingredients cold to ensure proper layering and puffing during baking.
- Thaw frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator according to package instructions.
- Remember, never to refreeze thawed puff pastry. If you refreeze the pastry, the moisture content may change, leading to potential issues with texture, sogginess, or loss of flakiness when the pastry is eventually baked.
Is it better to use Brie or Camembert in these puff pastry tartlets?
Brie and Camembert are both soft, creamy, and flavorful cheeses that share a similar origin and have many common characteristics, but there are subtle differences that set them apart. Here are some distinctions between Brie and Camembert:
- Brie originated in the Île-de-France region of France, while Camembert comes from the Normandy region.
- While both cheeses have a creamy texture, Brie is known for being slightly creamier than Camembert. The texture can vary based on the specific brand and how the cheese is aged.
- Brie is often thicker than Camembert. The thicker layer of Brie contributes to a slightly different texture and taste compared to Camembert.
- Brie and Camembert share a similar mild, buttery flavor with earthy undertones. However, some enthusiasts argue that Brie has a milder taste, while Camembert can be a bit stronger and more intense.
- The rind of Brie and Camembert is edible, and both cheeses have a white, bloomy rind. However, the rind of Camembert is often thicker than that of Brie, contributing to potential variations in flavor and texture.
For this savory puff pastry recipe, we recommend using Camembert. Moreover, we recommend removing the rind slices, as some people may find the taste of the rind to be way too pungent.
How to fold puff pastry squares into a tulip shape?
- Our puff pastry recipe calls for folding puff pastry squares into a tulip shape. While this may sound like an elaborate folding technique, in reality the process is straightforward. To begin with, take a puff pastry square and gently fold in the middle. Then pinch the dough at the top. Repeat for the opposite side of the pastry square. Still need help? Head over to our Instagram post for a step-by-step visual tutorial for this savory puff pastry appetizer.
Tools to use in this recipe:
Instructions – Step-by-Step:
- Preheat your oven to 360°F (182°C).
- Dice the bacon into an even dice. Fry until light brown but not crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to cool.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough to approximately 5 mm (3/16 inch) thickness. Cut it into 12 equal squares.
- Place baking cups into a muffin pan. Fold the puff pastry squares into a tulip shape and gently tuck them inside the baking cups. Apply light pressure to the puff pastry so that it takes the shape of the baking cup.
- Add a heaping teaspoon of caramelized onions to each puff pastry cup. Top with a spoonful of fried bacon and a ½-inch thick slice of camembert cheese.
- Place the muffin pan into the preheated oven and let it cook for 30 minutes, but start checking your oven at the 20-minute mark. When the puff pastry has a nice golden color and the cheese is melted, your puff pastry cups are ready!
- Serve alongside a leafy salad and drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.
Recipe Card:
Puff pastry tartlets filled with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and gooey camembert cheese
Filled with caramelized onions, bacon, and Camembert cheese this easy-to-make savory puff pastry appetizer is ready in just 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry dough
- 12 tsp. caramelized onions
- 8.8 oz. brie or camembert cheese 200 g
- ½ lb. thick-cut or preferably, uncut bacon (250 g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 360°F (182°C).
- Dice the bacon into an even dice. Fry until light brown but not crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to cool.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough to approximately 5 mm (3/16 inch) thickness. Cut it into 12 equal squares.
- Place baking cups into a muffin pan. Fold the puff pastry squares into a tulip shape and gently tuck them inside the baking cups. Apply light pressure to the puff pastry so that it takes the shape of the baking cup.
- Add a heaping teaspoon of caramelized onions to each puff pastry cup. Top with a spoonful of fried bacon and a ½-inch thick slice of camembert cheese.
- Place the muffin pan into the preheated oven and let it cook for 30 minutes, but start checking your oven at the 20-minute mark. When the puff pastry has a nice golden color and the cheese is melted, your puff pastry cups are ready!
- Serve alongside a leafy salad and drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.
2 Responses to “Savory Puff Pastry Appetizer With Caramelized Onions, Bacon And Camembert”
Looks interesting but what to do about the caramelized onions? Making at home seems like a lot of wwork. I may just fry them, what do you think?
Hi Lucy, You can use fried onions but they won’t have the sweet and tangy taste of caramelized ones. Here’s a hack to get a better flavor out of onions, even though it won’t be exactly like caramelized onions. Put sliced onions in a pan, add a bit of sugar and salt, and cover with a lid (that’s a critical step). Cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until the onions release a lot of liquid. Then, take off the lid, turn up the heat to medium-high to let the water evaporate. The onion will start browning in about 5-8 minutes. The actual time does depend on your stove though. After that, you’ll need to put in a similar effort as you would when you fry onions. To make the flavor more like caramelized onions, add about 1/4 tsp. of balsamic vinegar or preferably balsamic vinegar glaze when you’re ready to turn off the stove.
Personally we like to prepare a generous batch of caramelized onions and stash them in our fridge so we never run out. You can find a helpful recipe here: https://cannedexperience.com/how-to-caramelize-onions-the-correct-way/. For an extended shelf life, try pouring two generous spoonfuls of piping hot oil over caramelized onions once you have them in your non-plastic storage container.