Caramelized onion, Gruyere and bacon puff pastry puffs

Slice the onions thin and grate the Gruyere.

Add a little garlic to the cooked onions for 30 seconds to bloom the flavors.

Add about a tablespoon of brown sugar to help the caramelization, then a little dry thyme.

Add a splash of red wine, optional, to offset the sweetness, and cook a few minutes until the onions reduce and are thick.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Lay the cold puff pastry sheet on a very lightly floured surface and stretch it about an inch bigger on each side; cut into nine squares.

Mix some of the bacon into the onion mixture.

Spoon onions onto each square with a fork and top with a good bit of shredded Gruyere.

Beat an egg with water or milk and brush along the edges.

Form little purses and pinch all the seams; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash for color and so the salt and pepper adhere.

Variation: assemble the night before without egg wash, cover with plastic wrap on the baking sheet, then egg wash and bake from cold the next day.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and puffy; cool a little.