Black Cherry Phyllo Tarts

Black Cherry Phyllo Tarts
Vegan; Makes 12 tarts

So, this is the rest of the dessert recipe that I served last night. These little tart are super impressive. Just remember to spray your muffin pan before you put the phyllo sheets in them, or (like me) you'll have a difficult time removing them and may have a few tasty causalities... ~_^

Here I used organic black cherries from a jar (Red Hills Fruit Company). Phyllo dough will dry out quickly, so having a damp surface will help delay that. Also, it is really a delicate medium; so please don't get discouraged. I've ripped and destroyed more sheets, but they're still good to use. I'll post some tips on using the ripped pieces...

5 sheets of of Phyllo dough
1/4 cup of ground almonds
1/4 cup of Turbinado sugar
4 Tablespoons of Earth Balance (melted)
1 cup black cherries, (drained if from a jar, reserve 1/4 cup of syrup)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine Turbinado sugar and ground almonds, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, mix reserved syrup, almond extract and sugar. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. On a damp surface (I use a large cutting board), lay out your sheets of phyllo dough and cut into 12 squares (as even as possible). Brush melted earth balance on a square of phyllo and sprinkle with ground almond and turbinado sugar mixture. Repeat with all 5 squares, then gently press square phyllo dough into a lightly sprayed muffin pan. Add cherries (I was able to get 3 large cherries into each tart). And repeat steps with remaining phyllo dough pieces, util the pan is full and the cherries are gone. Sprinkle the tops of the tarts with extra ground almond, sugar mixture.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Or until the edges of the phyllo dough turns golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Spoon Coconut Vanilla Custard into each tart and serve.

Spinach Phyllo Spanakopita

Spinach Phyllo Spanakopita
Vegan; Serves 4

With all of the steps I took to make this, it truly is a labor of love. The tofu feta recipe and the cashew cream was used with this. Bruce loved it and the boys really liked it. So, the next time I make this; I will have to triple the recipe. I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart's Spinach Phyllo Pie....

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby spinach, sliced in 1 inch slices
1 cup crumbled vegan tofu feta (4 ounces)
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Cook spinach, adding 1-2 Tablespoons of water, tossing, until wilted. Stir in pine nuts and add roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning. (To store, refrigerate, up to 2 days.)

3. Unroll phyllo. Place 1 sheet on a work surface (keep remaining sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying); brush with oil. Lay another sheet on top and brush with oil. Repeat until you have 10 layers of phyllo. Spread spinach mixture and tofu feta lengthwise down middle of phyllo stack. Roll into a log, brushing the seam with oil before sealing. Brush log with oil. Using a small sharp knife, make 8 diagonal cuts on top.

Serve with Cashew Cream