Send your tastebuds to the Upside Down with my Demogorgonzola Tartlets — a Stranger Things recipe!
Stranger Things season 3 is premiering on Netflix at midnight, and to say that I’m excited would be a huge understatement. As a child of the 1980’s, this show is very nostalgic for me, and combined with my love of 80’s music, films, fashion, and aesthetic, I immediately was a fan the moment I watched episode one of the first season.
So of course, to celebrate the premiere of season 3, I decided to send my show straight to the Upside Down and conjured up a Stranger Things recipe for these Demogorgonzola Tartlets inspired by the show.
Fun fact: my actual birthday is November 6, the day Will disappears to the Upside Down.
So, for those of you not familiar with the show, the Demogorgon is the nemesis on season one of Stranger Things. But it returns in the second season in a more horrific form—a demogorgon-dog monstrosity (or demo-dogs) along with a Shadow Monster.
One of the most terrifying things about the demogorgon is that it’s entire face opens up like a hideous flower…into a disgusting mouth covered in teeth, ready to take a bite out of you.
My Stranger Things recipe for these Demogorgonzola Tartlets are inspired by the demogorgon’s terrifying face, and starts off with a flaky, buttery crust topped with a mixture of sauteed mushrooms, onions and Gorgonzola cheese, and then garnished with a pine nut studded demogorgon face.
Bite back at that demogorgon by baking up these Demogorgonzola Tartlets for your Stranger Things season three viewing party!
Are you excited for season three of Stranger Things? Who is your favorite character on the show? Be sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think of my Stranger Things recipe for Demogorgonzola Tartlets!
Demogorgonzola Tartlets – A Stranger Things Recipe from the Upside Down
Send your tastebuds to the Upside Down with my Demogorgonzola Tarlets — a Stranger Things recipe!
- Prep Time45 min
- Cook Time40 min
- Total Time1 hr 25 min
What You Need:
Tart Dough (Pâte Brisée)
- 1 C. + 1 C. and 3 T. all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 sticks (4-oz each) cold salted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1/4 C. ice water
Mushroom, Onion & Gorgonzola Filling
- 2 T. salted butter
- 16-oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 T. pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 4-oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra Supplies & Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 T. of water
- Red gel food coloring
- Pine nuts
- Food-safe paint brush
- Fork
- Round pastry cutters
- Petal shaped pastry cutters
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat)
- Rolling pin
Vegan Variations
- Non-dairy cheese (sharp varieties work best)
- Aquafaba or vegan egg-wash substitute (2 T almond milk + 1 T corn syrup)
- Vegan butter subtitute (such as Earth Balance or MELT)
What to Do:
For the Pâte Brisée (Tart Dough)
To assemble/bake: rolling out your pie crust to 1/8″-thick, and line your tart rings or pans. Place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, and then bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing the dough before baking ensures you don’t have to ‘blind bake’ your tart shells.
For the Demogorgon Faces
Roll out the remaining dough and cut out 4 large petals and one small petal for each tart.
Beat the egg with one tablespoon of water, and brush the edges of each petal with the egg wash. Attach the pieces together, and then use a round cutter to cut out the center.
Poke each petal several times with a fork before placing in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Add a small bit of red gel food coloring to the remaining egg wash. Remove the Demogorgon faces from the freezer. Brush each petal with the red egg wash, and top with pine nuts. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the Filling
Melt the salted butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, just until lightly browned. Add in the maple syrup (or honey), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the Gorgonzola cheese, and remove from heat.
Spread the mushroom mixture into each tart shell. Top with a Demogorgon face just before serving.
For the Filling
FOR VEGAN VARIATION: substitute a vegan butter substitute or vegetable shortening for the butter in the pate brisee. In the filling, substitute vegetable oil or vegan butter, and a vegan cheese alternative (sharp varieties of cheese work best). For the demogorgon faces, use a vegan egg-wash substitute in place of the egg (aquafaba works great, or make your own with 2 T of almond milk + 1 T of corn syrup).
