CARAMELIZED SHALLOT TARTLETS

CARAMELIZED SHALLOT TARTLETS image

Categories Dairy Mushroom Appetizer Bake

Yield Yield: 40 pieces

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
Flour for dusting work surface
1 Pkg. Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crust (2 crusts)
12 Oz. sliced bacon, cooked crisp, drained, (reserving 2 Tbs. rendered bacon fat), and chopped
2 Tbs. butter
6-8 Shallots, diced small
10 Oz. mushrooms, diced small
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
6-8 oz shredded Fontina cheese
1 Cup heavy cream
4 Eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Special Equipment:
Mini muffin pans
2-1/2 or 3-inch scalloped cookie or biscuit cutter
Wooden mini tart press (optional) -It looks like a miniature wooden dumbbell

Steps:

1. Spray top of pans and inside of mini muffin cups lightly with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Unroll first crust and stretch it a bit in all directions with a rolling pin, making it slightly thinner. 3. Cut crust with cookie cutter, forming as many rounds as possible, reserving scraps. Place each round over a muffin cup and press down inside to form tartlet shells, making sure the scalloped edges come up and over the top of the cup. Gently press edges down against the top surface of the pan. 4. Repeat process with second pie crust, then combine scraps, roll out, and continue cutting rounds until all of the scraps have been used. Wrap tart pans in plastic wrap and place in freezer while preparing filling. 5. Sauté shallots in butter over low-medium heat until they are translucent and a deep golden brown (about 15 minutes). Remove from pan and chill. 6. Place reserved bacon fat in pan and sauté mushrooms until moisture has evaporated and they turn a nice brown. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and sauté for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator. 7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cream, eggs, and nutmeg in blender and process on low speed until thoroughly combined (about 7 seconds). 8. Remove tartlet pans from freezer. Fill each shell 3/4 full with the dry ingredients in this order: bacon, mushrooms, shallots, cheese.(Tartlets can be frozen at this point, for up to 2 weeks, but must be removed from freezer 1/2 hour before filling with cream.) 9. Slowly drizzle cream/egg mixture into the nooks and crannies until each shell is 7/8 full, wiping up any overflow with the corner of a paper towel. 10. Bake until crusts are golden and filling is puffed in center (10-15 minutes). 11. Remove from oven and cool on racks for 5 minutes. Gently lift each tartlet out of pan with the edge of a knife or fork. Arrange on a platter and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.