Caramelized Onion and Blackberry Blue Cheese Tarts

Slowly cooking thin-sliced onions brings out tangy sweetness that becomes a perfect pairing with our Blackberry Blue Cheese. We like baking off individual tart shells filled with the mixture for an elegant luncheon dish or small plate but the filling is just as delicious spooned onto bread or served over grits.

Makes 6, 4-inch tart shells

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 8 tablespoons very cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
  
• ½ cup very cold vegetable shortening, cut into cubes
  
• 3-6 tablespoons ice water
  

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 ½ pounds (about 3-4) Vidalia or other sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  
• ½ cup crumbled Blackberry Farm Blue Cheese
  

To make the pie crust:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together well. Add the cold butter and shortening cubes and using a pastry cutter, blend together well until the mixture resembles oatmeal.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and knead it four or five times to help it form a rough ball. Try not to over-knead but if you see that it is not coming together, go ahead and add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into two balls then form them into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic film and chill for at least one hour.

When ready to bake and fill, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Working on a floured surface, gently roll out the dough into a circle that is about ¼ inch thick. Using a 5-inch round cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut circles out of the dough. Fit each circle into a 4-inch tart pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork and place in a 350° oven. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes.

To make the filling and assemble the pie:
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter in the oil. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium, cover and allow to cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. Uncover the skillet and allow to continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions become golden brown and very soft, about 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt, thyme and black pepper and remove from the heat.

Stir in half of the blue cheese crumbles and divide the onion mixture into the individual tart shells. Sprinkle with the reserved blue cheese crumbles and place back in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese begins to melt slightly. Remove from the oven and serve warm.