Blue Cheese And Fig Puff Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over pastry (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture. Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Use a pastry brush to dab edges of tart with egg mixture. Gently fold over edges of tart to form a lip and brush with more egg mixture.
• Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired, warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Tip the flours into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and the diced butter. Pulse until you can't feel any lumps, then tip in the walnuts. Mix the egg yolks with 3 tbsp cold water, then dribble this into the machine while you pulse again until the pastry comes together. Tip the pastry out onto a floured surface, lightly bring it together into a ball, then roll out and line a deep 20-23cm tart tin with overhang. The pastry may crack, but just patch it back together, then cover and chill for 1 hr.
• To make the filling, melt the remaining butter in a large pan, then add the shallots and soften for 10-15 mins, until golden and squishy. Stir in the thyme for 1 min, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug with the crème fraîche and cream. Crumble in the cheese and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blind bake the pastry for 20 mins, remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until golden and sandy. Reduce the oven temp to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the cooled onions to the cream mixture and pour into the case. Sit the fig halves on top, cut side up, sprinkle with some more thyme and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr-1hr 10 mins until the tart is browning and has a slight wobble - the cheese middle will firm up on sitting. Cool for about 15-20 mins, then remove from tin and serve with a green salad.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla. Divide into eight small mounds. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center; place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add honey and balsamic vinegar. Microwave, uncovered, at 80% power for 20 seconds, stir to mix., Slice each fig lengthwise into six slices; place on a parchment paper-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey sauce. Roast 8-10 minutes or until softened. Cool on pan on a wire rack., Unfold one sheet of puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry just enough to smooth surface. Cut into four equal pieces; trim off corners to round. Cut in about half way from each rounded corner in towards center. Place a cream cheese mound in the center of each. Top with six slices cooled roasted figs; drizzle tops with 1/4 teaspoons honey sauce., In a small bowl, whisk egg with water; brush pastry with egg wash. Fold up 1 "petal" of dough wrapping around filling. Wrap second petal around first one from the opposite side lightly pressing ends to stick. Continue with other two petals. Tuck last two points under "rose" and cup in hand gently to round the base., Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat. Use excess corner trimmings to make leaves and place slightly under and next to roses. Brush outside of pastries with egg wash. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack. Place roses on a serving plate; drizzle with re-warmed remaining honey sauce. Top with pistachios; serve warm.

Steps:

• Cut each pear lengthwise into 10 (1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick) slices (5 from one side, then 5 more from the opposite side), avoiding core and discarding rounded outermost slices.
• Layer 4 pear slices with cheese and fig on each of 4 plates, beginning with largest pear slices, and ending with smallest.
• Sprinkle any remaining cheese and fig around napoleons.