Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets

This year's Cookie Exchange Sunday Dinner I wanted to prepare some fancy pants appetizers.  I usually do a dip or some sort, or have friends bring the appetizers. But I stumbled onto this recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker (again with the Brown Eyed Baker site) and just had to make this.

It is time consuming to make the "filling" but it's very much worth that time.  The outcome was spectacular and delicious!  I'll make these again for sure.

The only issue with mine that I had were the puff pastry didn't puff so much.  Many of them were flat, but still tasty.  I think they may have been too small and too much good stuff on top of them. Next time I'll make them slightly bigger.


Photo courtesy of
The Brown Eyed Baker

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets
Recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 16 3-inch tartlets; [JW note: I made mine an inch and I got 24 of them]

1 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 T unsalted butter
16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ c white wine (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to directions on package)
1 cp shredded Gruyere cheese (can substitute any variety of Swiss cheese)
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten together (for the egg wash)
Handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.

Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

Unfold the thawed sheets of puff pastry and cut out circles from the dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets. Using a very sharp knife, make four small scores around the perimeter of the dough, about ¼ to ½-inch from the edge.

Top the rounds of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture, trying to keep the filling within the score marks. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with the egg wash.

Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Three little words describes this fudge...

To....

Die...

For...

I'm not a baker. I hate having to measure things, and patience isn't my strong suit. So things like fudge tends to not get made in my house because of the measuring and all the stirring it takes. At least that's how it's been in the past.

Not no more.

The Brown Eyed Baker's recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge is a bit different from most fudge recipes I've made. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and I'll be darn but it turned out.

Not just turned out but it was delicious.

I made two batches on two different days. The batch I made on the rainy day, did not turn out. My grandmother used to say you couldn't make her peanut butter fudge on rainy days and I now believe her.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker
Makes 64 pieces

2½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup evaporated milk (from a can)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup unsalted butter, divided
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 

Butter an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper, using enough so that there is some overhang on the edges.

Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, evaporated milk and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir until the butter melts. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then cover and boil for 3 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from the heat and, without stirring, add the remaining butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, beat the fudge vigorously until it thickens and begins to lose its gloss (can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes). You can also transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat it on medium speed, being careful to only mix until it thickens and loses its gloss. Do not overmix. [Jenn Note: I put mine in my mixer for the first batch. I beat it for almost 25 minutes. For the second batch ( on the rainy day) I barely beat it at all.]

Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow the fudge to come to room temperature, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill it until set. Lift the fudge out of the pan and cut into 1-inch squares. The fudge can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

I'm officially addicted to SkinnyTaste.com. I've tried a number of recipes from her site now and every single one of them has not only been low calories, but delicious.  This one is no exception.

I like chicken nuggets.  I hate them from fast food places, but the idea of small, bite size chicken, breaded in goodness just makes my heart flutter.

These were tasty, lo-cal, and super easy to make.

Photo by SkinnyTaste.com

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
6 T whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T panko
2 T grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.