Caramelised onion galettes with goats cheese

 

If you like mini food and want ideas for your next tea party, may I recommend caramelised onion galettes with goat's cheese, a simple but brilliant idea from p120 of Treat Petite by Fiona Pearce.

When I first read the recipe, I was unconvinced.  Supposedly you could make little puff pastry cups by cutting out 3cm circles from the pre-rolled puff pastry sheet, then scoring smaller (2.5cm) circles just inside, and it would cook up into a cup.  No way, I said, and I was thinking of making little tart shells instead.  However, time got the better of me, and I gave it a go - and I am so glad that I did: 

 

The pastry puffs up in the oven, but when you press on the scored centre with a spoon while it is still hot, the middle part crumbles inwards, giving you a neat, shallow little cup to load up with goodies.

 

The recipe suggests caramelising your own onions to fill the tarts, but I just filled them with a teaspoon or so of bottled caramelised onions - another time saver for the time poor, like me.  You then just pop a small piece of goats cheese on top of each tart, and a sprig of thyme, then bake at 180 degrees for a further 10 minutes and lo - you have gorgeous, perfectly formed galettes that look super and taste devine.