Caramelized Onion Tartlets

"They're just darling.  I love them!" my wife exclaimed after we were finished making these.  This dish was truly a joint collaboration.  We were like Lennon & McCartney working together on this one.  We needed to make a side dish to bring to an office party and we intended to make a pumpkin & squash guacamole for a fall-themed dish.  But when we got to the store, the avocados and squash were not up to par.  So enter Plan B.

As the title suggests, you are going to start by caramelizing onions.  Slice onions in half and then into thin strips.  Add them to a pan with butter over medium-low heat.  Add salt to draw out some moisture from the onions and help them caramelize.  This process takes a really long time.  The temptation is to turn up the heat, or stop before they're really caramelized.  But good things come to those who wait.  A chef told me it could take up to 45 to do them right.

Meanwhile, roll out some pie crust dough and cut it into very little rounds.  Then place them in a mini muffin tin and bake according to the directions.  Remove them from the tins and let them cool on a rack.

Next, mix together crème fraîche with finely chopped chives in a small bowl.  Crème fraîche is similar to sour cream, but it is less sour and has a higher viscosity and fat content.  What that means to you is there is a mild, tangy taste with a smoother mouth feel.  You may be able to substitute Greek yogurt here; but I wouldn't use just sour cream.  Fill your cooled tartlet shells with a small scoop of the mixture.

Once your caramelized onions have cooled, grab a small fork and start topping the little shells full your crème fraîche mixture.  Try to twirl the onions a little like spaghetti on your fork so they sit nicely atop the pie shells. These are finger food; and you don't want them to be too messy.

The pie crust is sweet and flaky, the crème fraîche mixture is cool and rich, and then the caramelized onions add another later of sweet, buttery goodness to top it all off.  I think these were really great, and at least two people pulled my wife aside at the party to tell her how good they were.  When you have a whole smorgasbord of foods to chose from, it's nice to stand out.