Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts

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• A sweet & savory soirée
• Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts are perfect party bites
• California Prunes: the key, healthy & versatile ingredient
• Ingredients for Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts
• The trick for making the prune onion filling
• How to form puff pastry tarts
• The key to ultra flaky puff pastry
• These tarts teeter between savory and sweet
• Recipe
• Comments

A sweet & savory soirée

Naturally sweet California Prunes pair up with jammy caramelized onions as the decedent and flavorful filling in these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts. Store-bought puff pastry squares get a swipe of tangy grainy mustard, filled with the prune and onion mix and topped in a delicate shower of fontina cheese. They bake together until the pastry puffs and the cheese bubbles and browns up. Then the tarts are drizzled sweet honey and topped in fresh thyme sprigs. The combo of ingredients tucked into the shatteringly tender pastry is a melt in your mouth journey of sweet and savory satisfaction.

Winter cooking and baking is all about comfort and warmth. This time of year we seek hearty stews, chewy cookies and warming drinks. We go straight from Thanksgiving feasts with all the trimmings and a triple threat of Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin Pies straight into festive cookies and holiday ham! But these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts linger in the in-between. They offer an opportunity to savor the moments between the big to-dos.

Inspired by a weekend with women in wine country

Back in October I had the honor to attend the Cherry Bombe Wine Country Jubilee in Calistoga, CA with my partners from California Prunes. The 2 day event brought together women from a variety of backgrounds in the food and wine industries. The weekend was filled talks and panels featuring an inspiring lineup of talented women who are taking large leaps and making major moves in the food and wine industry.

Far from a stale business meeting, the Cherry Bombe Wine Country Jubilee was like an intimate cocktail party. The speakers shared inspiring stories and hard-earned wisdom from the stage. But thanks to the laid back vibe of the Jubilee, it felt more like an intimate chat than a stiff conference. We mingled and sipped, and you better believe the food and wine were top notch. In fact, it was this party-like atmosphere that inspired the recipe for these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts!

Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts are perfect party bites

The Jubilee reminded me of the power of a good cocktail party. Lovely little bites of handmade snacks and stemmed glasses filled with something special instantly put people in a festive mood. While standing in a circle of new and old friends, nibbling on a shared plate of various cheeses, crisp crackers and plump California Prunes, I knew that I wanted to create a recipe that was party ready.

Elegant and individually sized, these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts have "holiday party" written all over them. They've got a flair of fanciness, but are actually quite simple. It only takes a handful of ingredients and a few steps to bake these celebratory tarts.

California Prunes: the key, healthy & versatile ingredient

Sure, when most of us think of prunes we think of a snack that does wonders as a digestive aid. Undoubtedly an admirable quality. However, California Prunes have so much more to offer. This versatile dried fruit can shape shift into everything from the coffee cake filling in this Spice Prune Coffee Cake, to the power boosting base of these Prune Almond Energy Balls. In this Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tart recipe, prunes add a natural sweetness to the savory filling.

Fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals; prunes have it all

While nobody is claiming these tarts are a healthy treat, they do have some hidden benefits thanks to the California Prunes tucked inside. Prunes are one of those good-for-you snacks that taste great to boot! They are loaded with a wealth of nutrients and health benefits, including healthy digestion and strong gut and bone health.

More California Prune-powered recipes

Ingredients for Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts

It doesn't take much to make the magic that is these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts. Just a few ingredients and a little kitchen time are all you need to show up with an armful of savory sweet elegance at every holiday party this season!

• California Prunes add natural sweetness and a silky, jammy body to the filling.
• 1 large onion gets caramelized down to a it's earthy, sweet core giving major flavor to the filling.
• Olive oil aids in the browning of the onion, coating each onion strand is silky richness.
• A sprinkle of salt is added to the onions as they cook to help bring out the natural flavors.
• Whole grain mustard cuts the sweetness with zippy zing, adding instant savory elegance.
• Fontina cheese layers in craveability with salty, nutty and creamy richness. This cheese browns and bubbles like a dream and has just the right flavor notes for this recipe. However, Gruyère or Parmesan are suitable alternatives.
• 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry is divided into 9 individual tarts that lay the foundation for the Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts.
• 1 egg is whisked is a splash of water to create and egg wash that's brushed over the puff pastry to add sheen.
• Honey is drizzled over the baked tarts giving them a glistening glow of sweetness. Swap in hot honey to spice things up!
• Fresh thyme sprigs bring herby earthiness to the tarts. Feel free to swap in rosemary or sage if you'd prefer.

Before you begin, prep the onions by slicing them thin but not too thin. About ¼" thick should do it. Remember that they will shrink up as they cook down. By chopping the California Prunes into small bite sized bits, they will blend in seamlessly with the onions to make the flavorful tart filling.

The trick for making the prune onion filling

The first step to making the Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts is to cook down the onions. The goal is to *almost* caramelize the onions in the pan since they will continue to brown in the oven. Caramelizing onions is a low and slow process, so you'll need to budget about 30 minutes for cooking the onions. However, it's mostly hands-off and well worth the effort.

In the last few minutes of the cooking the onions, the chopped California Prunes are added to the mix. This gives the onions and prunes time to mingle together over the heat so their flavors can start to meld into a naturally sweetened, warm earthy filling. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before filling your tarts.

How to form puff pastry tarts

This recipe uses frozen, store-bought puff pastry. Be sure you have properly thawed it before you start. The timing works nicely if you pull the puff pastry sheet from the freezer when gathering your other ingredients. It should soften up just right while you prep the ingredients and make the filling.

The key to ultra flaky puff pastry

Once your Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts are assembled, they are ready to hit the oven. Puff pastry performs best in a rippin' hot oven - 400º F. The high heat helps the pastry puff up in a quick and dramatic fashion. This results in the signature tender layers and that crisp, airy, ultra flaky texture.

These tarts teeter between savory and sweet

Hitting on that special space between sweet and savory is a delicate balancing act and these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts are as balanced as a tightrope walker. The buttery puff pastry base serves as a nearly neutral backdrop to the flavorful fillings.

The onions go sweet when caramelized and cooked with the prunes and tangy mustard cuts through the sweetness with a bold zippy flavor. Semi-hard and creamy Fontina cheese blankets on a nutty, rich and buttery layer that browns and bubbles with savory flavor in the oven. Then just before serving the Prune Onion Fontina tarts are drizzled in a sweet twizzle of honey and topped with fresh herby thyme.

The way each flavor plays off the next makes these tarts a unique treat that eloquently hits on both the sweet and savory notes. Consider delving into this in-between space and serve these Prune Onion Fontina Puff Pastry Tarts at your festive gatherings this year.

A great big thank you to my partners and pals California Prunes for including me in the Cherry Bombe Wine Country Jubilee. What an inspiring and delicious experience.

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