Apple and Goat Cheese Tartlets

 Well everyone, it's official.  Fall is here.  The air is crisp, the scarves and jackets are coming out of the closet and...apple orchards are opening for the fall festivities!

Fall is quite possibly my favorite season, especially here in New England.  There is nothing better than taking a nice stroll through the North End filled with it's smell of new fall air and the delicious Italian cooking, all to jump into the car and take a picturesque drive to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts.  Throw in a craft fair, maybe even a pumpkin patch and I would be in fall heaven never wanting to leave.  Why would you?

Yesterday was our second annual trip to Honey Pot Hill.  Which practically makes us regulars, right?  I'd say so.  Honey Pot is not just your average orchard.  It is filled with all sorts of goodies like...an area of farm animals to feed, a country store filled with the delicious fruits, the pick your own orchard, a hedge maze and so on.  While we enjoyed every bit of the aforementioned activities, there is one more that wins above all else.  The bakery.  Serving up fresh hot cider donuts, caramel apples, fresh fruit pies, and apple cider to wash it all down.  Mmm Mmm Mmm.  It's sinful.  And probably the only reason we will drive the two hour round trip multiple times this fall.

Looks like there is about to be a battle for the last donut.

As I mentioned in my last post, we are going to be making Apple and Goat Cheese Tartlets with caramelized onions.  And of course I got the apples at the orchard.  Orchard fresh apples can't be beat.  Here we go!

Apple and Goat Cheese Tartlets...with caramelized onions and honey butter.

 Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets) thawed
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey, divided
• 4 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
• salt
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh goat cheese at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 small apples

1. Dice up a medium yellow onion.

2. Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter.

3. Add diced onions to butter and saute on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until transparent.

4. Add 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

5. Add 1 Tablespoon (or a little more) of brown sugar.

6. Add a fresh sprig of thyme and a bit of salt and pepper.  Saute for another 15-20 minutes without browning the onions.

7. Grab your thawed pastry sheets.  Using a cookie cutter or ring cut eight 4 inch circles (four from each sheet). Firmly press down into each round with a 3 inch cutter *being careful not to go all the way through* to create the border.  Put baking sheet into freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

8. I love my honey jar.

9. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.  When the butter is halfway melted pour in half the amount of honey.

10. Add several sprigs of thyme.

11. And a dash of salt.  Stir gently.  When butter is melted and honey is warm remove from heat and set aside.

12. In a small bowl combine goat cheese, apple cider vinegar, and a dash of salt.

13. These apples were Ooooh so good.

14. Peel and core the delicious apples.

15. Slice the apples as thin as you can without slicing a finger off.

16. Grab the pastry out of the freezer and put a nice amount of the goat cheese mixture within the border of the pastry.

17. Have I mentioned how much I love goat cheese?

18. Toss on the balsamic onions that we made in the beginning.

19.  And the apple slices on top.

20. Hello honey...butter.

21. Drizzle over the top of apples.

22. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and the pastry is golden and puffy.

23. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with thyme.  If you're feeling really wild you can add a nice grated cheese and/or some toasted pecans.

24. Eat!

Up next: Be watching for some more creations via Honey Pot Hill.  I went a little crazy at the country store...Oops.