Panera Goat Cheese Tartlets With Caramelized Onion & Figs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Caramelized Onions
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Almond Crust
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and finely chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheesecake Filling
12 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 lemon, zest of, grated
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
12 fresh figs, quartered

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450\u00b0F
To caramelize the onions, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add the onions and thyme.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir until the onions are coated.
Continue cooking, stirring only occasionally, until the onions are a deep amber color.
Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
To make the crust, combine bread crumbs, cheese, butter and almonds in a medium bowl of a food processor until combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
For the filling, in a seperate bowl, blend the cheeses until smooth.
Add the zest and the eggs, one at a time, blending until smooth again.
Then add the heavy cream, blending until smooth.
Grease mini muffin cups and place in a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
Press a tablespoon on the crumb mixture evenly into each cup, and then fill two-thirds of the way up with the cheese batter.
Distribute the caramelized onions evenly atop the filling.
Transfer the pan to the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake until the filling has set, 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with figs.