Craze-E Caramelized Onion, Cranberry and Blue Cheese Squares

This is a splendid little appetizer for your holiday table or buffet. The onion squares are both ever-so-slightly-sweet and tantalizingly-savoury at the same time.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 35 appies

Ingredients

• 1  shortcrust pastry dough (enough pastry to fit a 13-inch x 9-inch pyrex baking dish)

• Filling

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 3  large red onions, halved, thinly sliced (about 2 pounds)
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  dried  herbes de provence (or a mixture of your favourite herbs)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  freshly-cracked black pepper (or to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries, halved
• 100  g  crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 100  g  sliced almonds (about 4 ounces)

Directions

1. For filling: Melt oil and butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. Cook until onions are soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, herbes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook until onions are soft and caramelized, stirring frequently, about 25-30 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in dried cranberries and cool.
2. Preheat oven to 220C (425F).
3. Transfer dough to 13” x 9” pyrex baking dish. Pierce dough all over with fork (this is called 'docking'). Blind bake for 15 minutes.
4. Spread onion mixture evenly over dough. Sprinkle with cheese and almonds. Bake until cheese is bubbling and sliced almonds are golden, about 15-20 minutes longer. Let cool. Cut into squares and serve.