Best Cheddar And Spring Onion Tart Recipes

ONION AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Make the pastry shell: In a large chilled bowl combine the flour, salt, chilled butter, and the lard or vegetable shortening. Blend together until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Toss together lightly and gather the dough into a ball. Add more water until dough holds together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan. Gently press it into the bottom and around the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim off the excess dough by rolling the pin over the rim of the pan.
• Line the inside of the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with beans or pie weights. Blind bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil, prick the dough all over with a fork and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the shell begins to brown.
• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy 6 to 8-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until haze forms above it. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Stir in the paprika and set aside off the heat.
• In a bowl toss together the Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese until thoroughly combined. Spread half the cheese evenly in the baked pastry shell and scatter the onions over it. Cover with the remaining cheese.
• Beat the eggs cream, milk, salt, and nutmeg together with a wire whisk and pour the mixture slowly and evenly over the cheese.
• Bake in the upper third of the oven for 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 425 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling has puffed and browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and remove the tart from the pan.
• Serve hot or at room temperature as a first or main course.

WISCONSIN CHEDDAR, ONION AND BACON TART

Steps:

• Prepare dough by pulsing flour, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and salt in a food processor. Add butter, piece by piece, pulsing until all is incorporated. Add water and pulse only until dough forms a ball. Remove; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before assembling tarts.
• Meanwhile, prepare filling by cooking onions in butter in 2 large skillets until tender and translucent. Cool in a medium bowl. Beat 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks and cream together. Stir into onions; add cheese, bacon, chives and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion to fit in 10-inch tart pan with removable rim. Trim dough to fit rim height and prick bottom of dough with fork. Bake crust 7 minutes or just until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, add filling and bake 15 to 20 minutes more until egg mixture is set. Let cool 5 minutes before removing rim from tart pans. Cut into wedges.
• Note: The chef serves this tart with salad of baby spinach, red and yellow teardrop tomatoes, sliced Hass avocado, toasted pecans and apple cider vinaigrette.
• Recipe by Chefs Frank Randazzo and Andrea Curto-Randazzo

SCOTTISH CHEDDAR CHEESE AND SPRING ONION TEA-TIME SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6, 400F or 200C Grease or butter a large baking/cookie tray.
• Sift flour and mustard powder, or cayenne pepper, into a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add just over three-quarters of the cheese and the chopped spring onion, and mix well. Stir in the eggs and yogurt; I have suggested between 2 and 4 tablespoons of yoghut, add it a tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency. The dough will be very soft. Knead very lightly on a WELL floured surface.
• Pat out dough to about 2.5cm (1in) deep and cut out about 5 scones. Knead the trimmings and pat out, then cut out another 2-3 scones. Put the scones on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, and more cayenne, if you like.
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and risen. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Best served warm with butter and a sliver of cheese, or spread with cream cheese and ham.
• Tip: Use a larger cutter to make bigger scones, then serve them with spinach and a poached egg on top. Bake them for slightly longer.
• To freeze: cool and pack in polybag. Seal, label and freeze. Use within 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. Warm through in the oven for serving.

CHEESE AND ONION TART

Steps:

• For crust: Preheat oven to 400F.
• Combine flour and salt and cut in butter and Crisco until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add 3 tblsps ice water and combine until it forms a ball.
• Flatten into a 6 inch disk and chill it, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 hour.
• Roll out to 1/8 inch thick on lightly-floured surface and fit into a 9 inch tart pan.
• Trim edge and prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in middle of oven for 10 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling: Cook onion in butter over moderately-low heat until softened.
• Mash blue cheese with half and half and stir in eggs, Cheddar, onion and salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour into shell and bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 25 minutes longer.