French Onion Puff Pastry Dip Bomb & Pinot Noir
My 50th Episode of Wine & Dip! A series that changed my life and a DIPsaster (turned masterpiece)
Little Steph would be so proud, and it’s all thanks to Wine & Dip.
It’s absolutely crazy to me that I just posted my 50th episode of Wine & Dip. A series that changed everything for me. Over a year ago, on September 4th 2023, I posted my very first episode of Wine & Dip. I had been creating wine-focused content up until that point, with a combination of wine education, reviews, and a few recipes with pairings. I felt a ridiculous amount of joy when I posted recipes that were well received, and had played around with the idea of shifting to exclusive food and wine content. While I knew this would bring me the most joy, I didn’t have the confidence to make it happen. Little Steph had HUGE dreams of having her own cooking show and cookbook, but having never pursued formal training in the kitchen, the imposter syndrome was real. I knew I was a good cook, but I had a constant sense of not being good enough to actually share my creations. Well, that, and the fact that writing down a recipe while I was cooking seemed pretty much impossible to me. I wasn’t a chef. I was a self-taught home cook because I loved delicious food but couldn’t follow a recipe for shit. I was afraid of knives, burned food way too often, and made a TON of mistakes. (Side note: I learned WAY too late in life that these are pretty much all related to ADHD, which I was recently diagnosed with in 2023!) The reality is that my fear of judgement and imposter syndrome had always prevented me from pursuing my childhood dream.
When episodes two and four of Wine & Dip went viral, the validation started flooding in. My small but mighty following started growing quickly. I was getting comments from people saying how much they loved my recipes and had “found their people”. I started to realize that I was creating something special that centred around both my passions, food and wine, and I knew that little Steph’s dreams were finally becoming a reality.
With the confidence and momentum from the success of my dips, I started introducing other recipes. I wanted to keep them easy and decadent since I’ve always had the most fun making food that would be considered “indulgences” by most. I added in Wine & Grilled Cheese, followed by Bubbles & Brie. With every recipe I posted, I worked on my recipe development and writing skills. I’ll be the first to admit that they weren’t amazing at first (my older recipes could use some work! lol), and I’m very aware that I’m not perfect by any means. But I’m SO proud of how far I’ve come.
Fast forward to today, I feel confident in my skills as a cook and recipe developer, and I get to share my recipes and wine pairings with over 300 thousand of you food and wine loving gems every week. I’ve basically created my own cooking show, and have big plans for a cookbook or 3 down the road. Little Steph would be so proud, and it’s all thanks to Wine & Dip.
The 50th Episode
At the end of my 49th episode, I promised an ‘epic’ dip for my 50th episode of Wine & Dip. I knew I wanted to make it a special one, but to be totally honest I hadn’t settled on an idea at that point. After some brainstorming I came up with the ultimate epic dip idea: A puff pastry dip bomb. I took a crowd fabourite dip (French Onion), froze it in a silicone mold, wrapped it in puff pastry, and created a masterpiece. And then I set it on fire. I was being the perfectionist I try not be and wanted to crisp it up a bit more in the oven, then I got distracted (ADHD. lol.) and the next thing I knew it was a flaming inferno in my oven. I cried A LOT. I had put so much work into it and was so excited with how it was turning out, and just like that it was incinerated.
After calming down a bit, I realized that this was probably for the best since I burned the onions anyways! So I put on my big girl pants and remade it. I’m so happy with how it turned out, and now I have a story I’ll never forget!
What to pair?
There is no better pairing for this one than Pinot Noir. Something about the sweet onions with the vibrant red fruit flavours and the contrasting bright acidity with the creamy dip and buttery puff pastry is just spot. on. And it doesnt hurt that Gruyère, the cheese used in this dip, is Pinot’s bestie in the wine and cheese pairing world!
Pinot Noir will taste a bit different depending on where it’s from. Warmer climate Pinot Noir, like those from California, tend to be a bit bolder/richer with lower acid and higher alcohol. They often have a bit of residual sugar, leading to some sweetness on the palate, and the fruit flavours will be a lean a bit more towards the ripe or candied side (think sweet cherry, and super sweet and ripe, ready-to-be-picked strawberries). Cooler Climate Pinot Noir, like those from Oregon or Canada, tend to be a bit lighter bodied and more refreshing with higher acidity, lower alcohol, and tart red fruit flavours (think sour cherries, cranberries, and raspberries). I truly believe either can work well with this dip. If you’re choosing a warmer climate Pinot, the creamy richness of the dip will match the rich texture and flavours of the wine, but there’s still enough acidity to cleanse the palate between bites. I personally went with a Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Oregon Pinot Noir has that cool-climate tartness, but is also known for its characteristic earthiness (which I personally LOVE). I find the added brightness and tart acidity from the cool climate style creates the perfect contrast to this mouth-coating, cheesy, creamy explosion of a dip. It also has enough sweet fruit flavour to match the sweetness from the onions, and has those stunning earthy notes to bring in some flavour contrast in the best possible way.
I chose the Love, Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (one of my long-time favourites), but here are some fantastic alternatives if you can’t find it where you are!
Affordable options that you can find across North America:
Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir (an affordable and accessible option from Burgundy, France)
French Onion Puff Pastry Dip Bomb
Tools
Ingredients
2 large sweet yellow onions (half for the dip, half for the topping).
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp red wine (ideally the one you’re pairing the dip with!)
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp beef bouillon powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups Gruyère, finely shredded (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
1 cup Mozzarella, finely shredded
1 sheet puff pastry (defrosted but fridge cold)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Directions
Part 1 - Make and freeze the dip
Make the onions (Time: ~ 1 hour)
Thinly slice 2 large sweet yellow onions. Heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil and butter (Side note: if you have one, a good stainless steel pan is ideal for this because of their even heat distribution!)
Once better is melted, add your onions and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir every 10 minutes or so for 50-60 minutes as the onions caramelize.
While the onions are doing their thing, make the dip. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, beef bouillon powder, vinegar, spices, 1 cup of the Gruyère and all of the Mozzarella.
Once onions are caramelized to your liking (sweet, soft, and golden brown is ideal) add a splash (~ 1 tbsp) of your red wine to the pan to deglaze, followed by 1 tbsp of maple syrup or honey. Stir to coat. Add half the onions to the dip and stir to combine, and place the other half in a container to be used later for the topping.
Pour your dip into a 6 inch silicone mold and freeze (this should take about 3-4 hours or can be left to freeze overnight). When placing your dip in the freezer, remove puff pastry and place it in the fridge to defrost.
Part 2 - Wrap, bake, and devour!
Preheat your oven to 425 F and prepare your egg wash (beat 1 egg in a ramekin and get your pastry brush ready).
Remove puff pastry dough from the packaging and lay flat. If your puff pastry dough comes in a large sheet, consider cutting it into a 12x12 inch square. Remove dip from the freezer and pop out of the silicone mold. Place it in the middle of your puff pastry dough and wrap, trimming excess dough as needed to minimize overlap. You’re aiming for a circular puff pastry wrapped dip without any open edges to keep the dip contained.
Brush all over (both sides) with egg wash and bake at 425 F for 30-35 minutes, or until puff pastry is a flaky golden brown. Remove from the oven, top with leftover caramelized onions (you may want to reheat these first in a pan or in the microwave) and then finish it off with the remaining finely shredded Gruyère.
Serve immediately with some fresh sourdough bread, your favourite original chips, and sliced apples! And pair it with an awesome Orgeon Pinot Noir, of course :)
Give it a try and let me know what you think! CHEERS!
xx Steph