Have I mentioned how much I love cheese? I like really really really love cheese. So when my friends at Martha Stewart Living challenged me to create a tasty Fall-inspired recipe Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese I was on board. Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese is made with milk from grass-fed cows that are raised on small, family-run Irish dairy farms, and that milk makes their cheeses so flavorful and creamy. I particularly love the Dubliner Cheese because of the balanced sweet and nutty flavors – similar to a cheddar in texture but with the bite of parmesan. Are you hungry yet?
That sweet note in the Dubliner Cheese inspired me to pair it with apples in a simple bite-sized tartlet recipe that screams of fall flavors! To make these sweet and savory little bites I pressed pie dough into muffin tins and gave the edges a ribbon-y texture. You can use a pre-made pie dough, or sometimes I have an extra pie dough made in the freezer if I’ve been prepping for seasonal celebrations – either works! And an easy tip to cut out the right size circles is to press a bowl or wide mouthed jar into the dough like a cookie cutter. 
For the filling, I sautéed minced onions and apples with butter until they because soft and reduced. You’ll get the savory flavor from the onions and butter and a sweet caramelized note from the cooked apples that is just oh-so-tasty. Then I layered a scoop of the Kerrygold Dubliner cheese into each pie crust well with an equal sized scoop of the cooked filling. Some extra cheese on top finishes them off and will give you a nice melted coating to keep all of the filling inside after you bake them. 
They cook quickly and just need to cool for a minute or two in order to firm up before serving them warm. I garnished each mini tart with a sprig of fresh thyme that brings a pop of color and freshness to these fragrant little snacks. I think they would make a perfect appetizer for the holidays, or a tasty weekend snack to use up your apple picking bounty this fall! Visit kerrygoldusa.com for more ideas, and scroll down for the full recipe!
- ½ Yellow Onion, minced
- 2 Tbsp of Butter
- 2 Red apples, cored and minced
- Salt and Pepper
- Pie crust
- 4 oz of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, shredded
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sautee the yellow onion and butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Add apples to the mixture and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the mixture has softened and reduced. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.
- Use your pre-made pie crust to cut out 12 – 4” circles and press each pie crust disc into a muffin tin well.
- Fill each pie crust well with a heaping tablespoon of shredded Kerrygold Dubliner, and then a heaping tablespoon of the apple-onion mixtures. Top with an additional pinch of the cheese on top and repeat for all 12 pie crust tins.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool slightly before garnishing with fresh thyme leaves. Serve warm.
Please note: This post was created in partnership with Martha Stewart Living and Kerrygold. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site!
