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    Home / Recipes / Course / Appetizer

    7 Dec 29, 2015 Appetizer  |   Jump to Recipe

    Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs

    This is my final recipe for 2015, and it’s a tasty one 🙂

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Blue-Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs

    This recipe starts with frozen puff pastry, one of my fav ready-made products.  I mean what’s not to love about flaky, golden pastry ready in a matter of moments?  Such a time-saver.

    Said puff pastry is then rolled out, cut into squares and draped into muffin cups.  Each cup bakes up into a beautiful flower-shaped vessel.  The filling for these cups is a mixture of rich Cambozola cheese, fragrant pear and meltingly sweet caramelized onions.  Chopped parsley adds a hit of freshness.  These Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs are a perfect New Year’s Eve appetizer.  Especially when paired with some bold Bordeaux wine.  More about that plus the recipe below.

    Sliced Onions

    Caramelized Onions

    Caramelizing onions is a task that can take some time, but luckily, I developed a little trick to speed up the process.  Drop sliced onions in a large, hot, dry pan set over medium-high heat. They should sizzle immediately.  Cook onions until they’re dark brown and starting to soften (about 5 minutes).  The bottom of the pan will look like hell.  Next, add fat to the pan (2 tablespoons for a medium onion) along with a big pinch of kosher salt, stirring to coat the onions.  Continue cooking until the onions are very soft and sweet (5 to 10 minutes more).  At this point, you’ve got caramelized onions.  Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.  For this recipe, I’ve deglazed the pan with some red Bordeaux wine to pull up all those good flavors off the bottom of the pan.

    Cambozola

    Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions and Pears

    I partnered with the good folks over at Bordeaux Wines for this article.  They recently launched a video-series entitled Beyond Bordeaux where host and Sommelier Patrick Cappiello explores the people and places unique to Bordeaux.  I’ve watched a number of these videos, and they’re super interesting:

    These videos remind me of my recent adventures in Tuscany with DaVinci Wines.  You can really appreciate wine even more when you learn about the people, history and culture that surround the wine’s place of origin.  Videos like these make me want to hop on a plane to France and dive right into the experience (and wine!).

    Bordeaux Wine

    Blue-Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs

    Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Pear Puffs

    by Brandon Matzek
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 12 bites

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 package (2 sheets frozen puff pastry)
    • 1 medium red onion, sliced
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons red Bordeaux wine
    • 7 ounces Cambozola*
    • 4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided (3 for the filling, 1 for the egg wash)
    • 1 ripe pear (core removed and diced)
    • 1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for sprinkling
    • 1 lighly beaten egg + 1 egg yolk

    Serve with more red Bordeaux wine. I'm drinking a Chateau Timberlay Merlot blend here.

      Instructions
       

      • Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.
      • Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drop in sliced onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and somewhat soft (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, and add the butter and a big pinch of kosher salt, stirring to coat the onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and sweet (5 to 10 minutes more). Add 3 tablespoons of wine, and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for just 1 minute more until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, then transfer onions to a cutting board to cool.
      • Once cool, chop up caramelized onions, then add to a medium bowl along with the Cambozola, 3 tablespoons heavy cream, diced pear and chopped parsley. Using a fork, mash together the ingredients until combined. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, then stir in the beaten egg.
      • Preheat an oven to 400°F, and place an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
      • Roll out puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut pastry into 9 even squares, then place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides and leaving the corners pointing up. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry, but only cut 3 additional squares. Divide filling between the cups. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center. Beat egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream together, then brush the top of each pastry evenly with the egg wash. Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed (about 25 minutes).
      • Transfer the muffin tin to a cooling rack, and let the puffs cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out the puffs onto the cooling rack, and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy with a glass of red Bordeaux wine!

      Notes

      *Cambozola is a mix of brie and blue cheese that pairs beautifully with red Bordeaux wine. I wouldn't recommend using a stronger blue cheese, because the flavor can clash with the bold red.
      Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

      Check out these other New Year’s Eve appetizers on Kitchen Konfidence:

      Mustard Deviled Eggs with Crispy Chicken Skin

      Mustard Deviled Eggs with Crispy Chicken Skin

      Charred Onion and Bacon Dip

      Bacon Onion Dip

      Tomato and Horseradish Cocktail Sauce

      Cocktail Sauce With Shrimp

      Walnut Ricotta Crostini with Arugula and Soft-Boiled Eggs

      Walnut Ricotta Crostini with Arugula and Soft-Boiled Eggs

      Pear Carpaccio

      Pear Carpaccio

       

      This post was written in partnership with Bordeaux Wines.  All thoughts, opinions and recipes are my own.

      7
      Brandon and Federico
      Brandon

      I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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      Categories: Appetizer Tags: black pepper, Bordeaux wine, butter, cambozola, eggs, heavy cream, kosher salt, parsley, pear, puff pastry, red onion

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

        December 29, 2015 at 1:23 pm

        Blue cheese, or cambozola, has my name written all over it! So do pop-able little appetizers like this! Could make a meal out of them 🙂

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          December 31, 2015 at 1:30 pm

          Thanks Averie! Jorge did make a meal out of them the next day 😛

          Reply
      2. Shanna @ pineapple and coconut says

        December 30, 2015 at 6:06 pm

        5 stars
        I am still so envious ( in a good way) that you got sent to Italy this year. I am hoping 2016 is the year I finally get to go to Italy!!! And if Bordeaux wines sends you to France – take me with you!! I love this recipe – a gorgeous recipe to end the year with.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          December 31, 2015 at 1:29 pm

          Thanks Shanna and I hope you get to Italy next year!!! Happy New Year 🙂

          Reply
      3. Susan says

        January 4, 2016 at 6:52 am

        This is a fabulous recipe! I intend to make these cups for friends who don’t like blue cheese. do you have a substitution suggestion? Any thoughts about using Brie alone?
        Thank you.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 6, 2016 at 11:47 am

          You could use just Brie. Enjoy!!

          Reply
      4. Carmella says

        January 4, 2016 at 8:04 pm

        5 stars
        I really need to make something with puff pastry and this looks perfect. I really love onions (don’t judge me lol) and I’m curious about pairing them with pear! Gorgeous photos, yum yum

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 6, 2016 at 11:46 am

          Haha no judgements here. I too love onions (and garlic!). Thanks Carmella 🙂

          Reply
      5. Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says

        January 4, 2016 at 8:35 pm

        Blue cheese and caramelized onions together…yum! I need this recipe in my life! Will definitely be trying it! Happy New Year!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 6, 2016 at 11:45 am

          You so do!! Thanks Michelle 🙂

          Reply
      6. Adriana Martin says

        January 4, 2016 at 8:58 pm

        I am a wine lover and pairing the wine with savory bites is one of my guilty pleasures, those puffs look amazing. Need to try the wine and the puffs soon =)

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 6, 2016 at 11:45 am

          Thanks!! Do you have a favorite pairing?

          Reply
      7. Kaitie says

        January 5, 2016 at 5:25 am

        First off, HECK YES to store bough pastry. I always keep a box in my freezer for when the mood strikes. DOn’t get me wrong, I 100% appreciate (and make) my own, but sometimes, it’s just easier then arguing with cold butter that won’t cut like you want it to!!

        Secondly, this looks amazing. Actually this (paired with the one of course) would be a lovely appetizer for say… Valentine’s Day?! Love it! The pear, blue cheese and caramelized onions are just a flavour combo that can’t be beat!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 6:01 pm

          I’ve never actually made puff pastry. Seems reeaaaaally involved. I don’t mind make pie crust, but for puff pastry, I’ll use frozen :P. Thanks!!

          Reply
      8. Marye says

        January 5, 2016 at 6:39 am

        These puffs sound wonderful! I love blue cheese and these flavors go so well together!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 6:00 pm

          Me too. Thanks Marye!

          Reply
      9. heather @french press says

        January 5, 2016 at 7:09 am

        with tasty bites like these, who needs main course!!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 6:00 pm

          Haha yes!! Thanks Heather.

          Reply
      10. Lauren says

        January 5, 2016 at 12:15 pm

        These little puffs look ridiculously addicting. I can just about taste the salty blue cheese paired with the sweet creamy onions…Heaven.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 6:00 pm

          It’s hard to eat just 3 of these. Thanks Lauren!!

          Reply
      11. Jennifer A Stewart says

        January 5, 2016 at 12:24 pm

        These look so fun and the combination of blue cheese and pear is awesome!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 5:59 pm

          Thanks Jennifer! They are tasty together 🙂

          Reply
      12. [email protected] Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says

        January 5, 2016 at 4:44 pm

        Ok when I first saw your gorgeous photo my first thought was I have to have that pop over! Then I read you used puff pastry! Genius! Seriously good stuff here

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 5, 2016 at 5:46 pm

          Thanks Chandra!!

          Reply
      13. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

        January 10, 2016 at 12:51 am

        These sound exquisite, Brandon, you really hit the nail on the head with this blend of ingredients – fabulous!

        Reply
      14. Christiane says

        January 10, 2016 at 5:40 pm

        You’ve combined some of my favorite favors for these litt tidbits. I adore blue cheese and caramelized onions. I’m thinking these would make an awesome Super Bowl snack.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 12, 2016 at 8:53 am

          Agreed! I’d love these on Game Day. Perhaps with some French onion soup :)?

          Reply
      15. Brandy M. says

        January 10, 2016 at 6:54 pm

        I have a couple of house parties coming up that these would be perfect for. They sound so sophisticated and my guests would love that!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          January 12, 2016 at 8:52 am

          Yes!!! Your guests will love them. Thanks Brandy.

          Reply
      16. Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says

        January 12, 2016 at 4:48 pm

        Puff pastry is an absolute must-have freezer staple because it’s just so quick and versatile. I do love the fact that you deglazed the caramelized onions with Bordeaux. Brilliant!

        Reply

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      Brandon and Federico

      I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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