This surprising combination of caramelized onions and apples is worth a try! When you properly caramelize the onions it brings out a sweet, delicious side that goes well with the crisp, sweet flavor of apples. It’s the perfect savory-sweet combo in this puff-pastry starter. Crème fraîche makes a delicious base, but you can sub in sour cream instead. Cut the tart into small pieces before serving.

Choosing the Best Apples to Bake

Anyone who has either eaten or baked apples know the disappointment of biting into a baked good and finding mushy, tasteless apples. Don’t worry! We know exactly what varieties of apples bake the best.

• Granny Smith – a tart variety that keeps it’s firm crispness
• Honeycrisp – a sweet, juicy variety that won’t turn to mush
• Braeburn – a mix of sweet and sour that works well with the caramelized onions
• Pink Lady – a crisp, sweet and sour variety that has plenty of flavor even when baked

How to Caramelize Onions

To truly caramelize onions and get the sweet side of onions to shine, you need to follow these steps. Cook the onions at a medium low heat. Make sure you do not over stir the onions, and let them cook for at least 45 minutes. Our recipe gives you the shortcut, but to truly taste the best of the recipe, let the onions cook for longer.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Pink Lady), cut into small pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• ½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Directions

Heat oven to 400º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the apples, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes.

Place each sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.

Spread with the crème fraîche, leaving a ½-inch border.

Top with the onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cut into pieces before serving.