Food Friday~ Carmelized Onion Galettes

One of my first culinary related epiphanies occurred when I picked up an issue of  FOOD & WINE magazine many years ago while traveling with my husband on missionary. 

I had already experienced a certain range of food culture but this was different. It was a moment that one remembers as if it were yesterday.

A spark was ignited inside that made the world of unusual & foreign taste not so huge, daunting, or unattainable, but a liberating sense of creativity that stood ready to happen right inside my very own kitchen.

Before this day, in a Laundromat, in a small town in the state of Missouri, I guess I thought only professionally trained chefs who owned five star establishments had the ability to introduce certain foods to the palette.

I browsed this 1994 issue, cover to cover, as I fell in love with, memorized, & recreated every recipe.

The galette has remained, some 16 years later, a family favorite. It will always hold a special place in my heart... 

Enjoyed by even the pickiest of eaters, I can always wow a crowd with this tender, flaky, blissfulness.

I hope that you enjoy the yum...

Crust  

                                          

 1 1/2 c flour

 1/2 tsp salt

 1/2 tbsp. sugar

 1 stick butter

 about 1/2 c ice water

Caramelized Onion

 2-3 large onions, roughly chopped

 1 tbsp. chopped thyme

 salt & pepper to taste

Patience is key here when caramelizing the onions. This process will take about 30 minutes over med heat. Stir occasionally until onions are a beautiful golden brown. Add thyme, pepper, & salt to taste. Let cool to room temp. 

Toppings

 feta crumbles (or fresh mozzarella slices)

 tomato slices

Chill dough for about 1 hour before rolling.

 





In large pot heat oil & brown onions until carmelization takes place, about 30 min.

The amount of onion will reduce greatly so if what you started with seems like a LOT. Don't worry.

Roll out dough into about 6 inch rounds.

Bring your filling to about 1 inch from edge.

Here I topped the onions with tomato slices & feta crumbles.

Fold over edge, place on baking sheet, brush with egg wash, & it's into the oven they go!

What's wonderful about these pastries is that they can be eaten piping hot or at room temp with no complaints.

Every bit of work & tears while chopping is worth the experience of caramelized magic here. Enjoy!

Food Friday - Toaster Pastries

Weekend mornings when all family members are usually under the same roof without the need to be elsewhere is a time I've come to savor.

I can also take time to make something special to enjoy when the little men (& the husband) wander into the kitchen midmorning, coaxed from their warm beds, to follow the aromas wafting through the house.

Today, I got a jumpstart on tomorrow's breakfast because it is a treat that I wanted to share with you step by step, using the nifty gadget I purchased a couple of years ago from Williams & Sonoma. Love, love it!

The crust recipe calls for 2 1/2 c flour, 12 tbsp. cold butter, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, & 8-10 tbsp. ice water. Because I love to tweak recipes to add a little bit more nutritional value, etc. I included 2 tbsp. ground flax meal to my dry ingredients.



I whirl the dry ingredients together using the pulse setting on my food processor, add water, pulse again for a couple of seconds, then chill for several hours.

 

One side of this awesome pastry cutter gives you the cutout, flip it over to use as a tamper to seal edges. So cool.



Your choice of filling could be sweet or savory, the possibilities are endless. Here I chose apricot & cherry preserves.



Seal your edges like a dream by brushing the edges with an egg wash. Prick with fork.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, cool & if you'd like, drizzle with icing, topped off with maybe a few rainbow spinkles. I doubled this recipe which yields about 20 pastries.