Smileys Tarte Soleil
Smileys Tearless Sweet Onions cook low and slow until they turn silky and deep golden, then layer with cream cheese and a thin swirl of raspberry inside puff pastry twisted into a sun and baked until crisp. Savory with just enough sweet, it’s built entirely from store-bought pastry, and it goes straight from the oven to the middle of the table where everyone pulls off their own piece.
APPETIZER
Smileys Tearless Sweet Onions cook low and slow until they turn silky and deep golden, then layer with cream cheese and a thin swirl of raspberry inside puff pastry twisted into a sun and baked until crisp. Savory with just enough sweet, it’s built entirely from store-bought pastry, and it goes straight from the oven to the middle of the table where everyone pulls off their own piece.
PREP
40 min
COOK
1 hr
TOTAL
1 hr 40 min
SERVINGS
12
SMILEYS TIP
Freeze the cut pastry for 5 to 10 minutes before you twist the rays. Cold pastry twists cleanly and holds the sun shape.
Ingredients
Servings: 12
● 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
● 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
● 2 large Smileys Tearless Sweet Onions (6-7 cups)
● ½ teaspoon salt
● ¼ teaspoon black pepper
● 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
● 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
● 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
● 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
● 1 large egg, beaten
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Large skillet, mandoline (optional), rimless baking sheet, parchment paper, 8- or 9-inch dinner plate, small glass, offset spatula, pastry brush
Steps
1 Cut the onions in half and slice thinly either by hand or with a mandoline.
2 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes, until deep golden and jammy.
3 Stir in the balsamic vinegar and thyme and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
4 Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimless baking sheet with parchment.
5 Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out slightly.
6 Transfer it to the parchment lined baking sheet and lay an 8 or 9-inch dinner plate on top and cut around it to create a circle.
7 Spread the cream cheese over the pastry in a thin even layer, leaving a half inch bare at the edge. An offset spatula is helpful.
8 Dot the raspberry jam over the cream cheese and spread it thin.
9 Scatter the cooled onions over the top in a thin layer.
10 Cut the second pastry sheet into a matching circle, lay it over the filling, and press the edges together firmly.
11 Press a small 2 to 3-inch glass in the center but don’t cut through the dough.
12 Cut the circle into quarters, stopping at the glass, then cut each quarter into three sections for 12 rays.
13 Freeze for 5-10 minutes to firm the dough.
14 Lift each ray and twist it twice, then press the end down onto the parchment.
15 Brush all over with the beaten egg.
16 Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden.
17 Slide onto a serving board and press fresh raspberries and blueberries into the center circle.
Step-by-step photos
