Love is in the air.  And do you know what I love?  I love mushrooms. When you take mushrooms and cook them so they get that golden brown crust, it’s more than enough to make you fall in love.  And then when you transform them into a cheesy, buttery tart?  What I’m saying is it’s a good thing Valentine’s day is just around the corner.  I mean, forget the chocolate, all I need are these adorable mushroom tartlets.  Ok, that’s a huge lie.  I’d like chocolate too, please.  And flowers, ahem.

But in my book, real love is when you put your heart and soul into making something that you adore and then share it with others.  Because everything in life is sweeter when shared.

Also, let me just point out that I sometimes like to make these tarts with goat cheese or blue cheese on top as well. Sometimes I make one large tart instead of bite-sized and sometimes I make them individual sized.  They are versatile in so many ways, but one thing always remains the same: they are loved.

Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Tartlets

Makes approximately 20 tartlets

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, (thawed but still chilled)
• 1 lb assorted wild mushrooms, sliced thin (cremini, shiitake, oyster, etc)
• 1 Tablespoon butter, plus more
• 2 large shallots, sliced thin
• pinch of sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 cup freshly grated sharp Gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper
• *Optional: crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.

Using a 2.5 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds.  You can also cut 2.5 inch squares, without a cutter, using a sharp knife (or any other shape or size you desire).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the puff pastry rounds on a single layer. Slightly pinch the edge, going all the way around to give a slight rim.  Refrigerate while you cook the shallots and mushrooms.

Cook the shallots in a large sauté pan with ½ tablespoon butter and pinch of sugar on low heat until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently so they don’t burn.

While the shallots cook, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms, being careful not to crowd the pan so they will brown (you may have to do this in batches).  Once the mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for one minute longer. Stir in the thyme and then add the wine, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan and cook until wine evaporates (there should be no liquid in the mixture).

Add the caramelized shallots to the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

Divide the mushroom mixture among the puff pastry rounds and top with cheese (I pinch the cheese tightly to keep in together on top of the mushrooms).  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed up.  

Sprinkle tarts with chopped fresh thyme and serve warm.

 *If desired, you can top these with crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese at the end, once they are finished cooking and then pop them under the broiler for just a quick minute.