What I love about this Apple Blue Cheese tart is that it is relatively quick and painless to make. It looks impressive whether you need a quick appetizer for a dinner party, or want to impress a new group of friends with your culinary prowess!

It does take a little planning ahead to make sure your puff pastry is thawed. In an ideal world you would take the puff pastry out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. For those on the fly, just let it sit out somewhere warm for an hour or so and you should be good to go. It is important for the pastry to be cold before you cook it. I usually form it into the desired shape and then pop it back in the fridge while I prep the other ingredients.

If you are feeling fancy you can make your own pastry crust, but I rarely have time for that so I cheat and use the Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets.

I use apples from Countyline Orchard, which is just down the road from the store. They are open seasonal weekends in the summer and fall. You can get their apples at Wanamakers from September until the supply runs out usually late February. I prefer an apple that is on the tarter side for this recipe, I used a goldrush apple this last time. You can also substitute pears for a delicious variation.

Ingredients:

1 puff pastry sheet
2 apples cut into half moon slivers
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
1 medium onion
4 slices of bacon
1/4 tsp thyme (you can use fresh or dried)
1 Tbs butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or cover with parchment paper. I lay the puff pastry right on the sheet and then take a rolling pin and roll the pastry sheet out a few more inches in all directions to make for a slightly thinner crust. Put the dough in the fridge to stay cool.
Dice the onion and melt the butter in the pan. Caramelize the onions. While they are cooking crisp the bacon slices.
Slice the apple into thin half moons. Once the bacon is nice and crispy remove from pan and dab with a paper towel.
Layer the apple slices slightly overlapping around the dough in a circle, leaving a few inches of dough around the edges.

Sprinkle the caramelized onions on top of the apples. Crumple the bacon on top of that, cover with blue cheese crumbles.  Sprinkle the thyme on top as a finishing touch.
Working from one of the corners of the dough, fold it in and on top of the apples, pinching in the edges of the dough and crimping it slightly to hold its shape.

Pop your Apple Blue Cheese Tart in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is a crisp golden brown. Enjoy your Apple Blue Cheese Tart!!!