Caramelized Sweet Onion Tart

Shawna, if you're reading this, just close it now.  While I congratulate you on being brave enough to even attempt to read this post, this one is not for you.  Sure, most of my recipes you can simply leave out the onions or chop them up tiny enough that you don't mind it.  But not this one.  This recipe is for all my fellow onion lovers.  Does it taste like eating straight onions?  Of course not.  It's actually surprisingly sweet and oh-so rich.  But that doesn't change the fact that it's onions.  In tart form.

Now, for everyone else still reading, I know I've gotten your attention and you're either salivating in anticipation, or so grossed out that you just can't look away.   Hopefully it's not the latter - seriously guys, just close the screen now, check out another of my safer, tamer recipes.  The rest of us are trying to make onion awesomeness.  Sweet caramelized onions with pecans, dates, and just a touch of honey baked to perfection in a pastry, to be exact.  And here's how Mama makes it:

Caramelized Sweet Onion Tart

Ingredients:

- pastry for 1 crust pie (again, I usually buy refrigerated - feel free to substitute your favorite homemade recipe)
- 3 medium onions, sliced
- 3 T. butter
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
- 1/4 c. chopped pecans
- 1/4 c. chopped dates
- 1/4 c. milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 t. nutmeg
- 2 T. flour
- 2 T. honey, divided

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions, salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes.

2.  Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Add pecans and dates last 10 minutes of cooking.  Remove from heat.

3.  Whisk together milk, egg, nutmeg, flour, and 1 T. honey.  Stir in the onion mixture.

4.  Place pastry dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Pour filling in the middle of the pastry and spread evenly, leaving about 1 1/2" around the sides.

5.  Fold edges of pastry over so that only a small circle of onion is showing.  Drizzle with remaining 1 T. honey.  Bake 10 minutes at 450, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

6.  Let cool for about 10 minutes, drizzle with a little more honey, if desired.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

printable recipe



Here's a peak at what the family was doing while Mama was cooking up this yummy treat :)

do, do, do, dooooo!