Baklava Tartlets

Baklava is a delight, but it takes a while to get all the layers put together. This recipe doesn't completely eliminate the hassle of laminating the filo dough, but it reduces it by 50%. Start by melting down a portion of refined coconut oil. Take a sheet of thawed filo dough and brush it with the melted coconut oil. Repeat, ya know, about a dozen times.  Then, using a small cookie cutter, cut circles of dough and press them into a mini-cupcake tin.

To prepare the filling, start by coarsely chopping equal portions of pistachios, almonds, walnuts and pecans.  Add a pinch or two of salt to counterbalance the sweetness of the syrup.  Place a spoon of the chopped nuts into each cup.

Bake at 180˚C (350˚F) until the shell is golden brown.

Then, prepare the syrup by adding turbinado sugar to a heavy medium-sized pan.  Add to that, 25% by mass, water (25mL water for each 100g sugar).  Then add a few cloves, a cinnamon stick and a whisper of orange blossom water - or - rose water.  Bring to a boil and ensure all the sugar has melted.  Then strain out the cloves and cinnamon stick.

* The syrup needs to be hot when it's poured on the tartlets, so be sure to keep it toasty.

When the shells have reached that perfect golden brown colour, remove them from the oven and immediately pour a bit of syrup on each one.  It should basically cover the chopped nuts, but it shouldn't drown the pastry.  About a tablespoon should be enough.

Allow them to cool and carefully remove them from the muffin tin.

Enjoy these with a piping hot cup of coffee.

Chocolate Pretzels

Chocolate and carbs!  How could you go wrong?!  This is the perfect quick and fairly easy snack. Start by melting chocolate over a water bath.  I like to use a vegan dark chocolate.  I like to temper the chocolate by reserving half the chips and seed-tempering:  simply remove the chocolate from the heat and add the remaining chips.  This should cause the cocoa butter crystals form properly and ensure that the chocolate stabilises at room temperature.  This isn't necessary, but it makes for a better end result.

Simply dip the pretzels and affix your favourite toppings before the chocolate solidifies.  Go wild!  I tried pecans, peanuts, and matcha powder.  I also tried drizzling chocolate over almonds and pistachios.

My favourite?  Peanuts!  There's just something magical about peanuts and pretzels and peanuts and chocolate.  But the trio, overtakes them all!

Happy snacking!

Coconut Baklava!

Baklava is one of those things I never really liked.  I was accustomed to the pre-made slobbery, greasy, over-sugared, store-bought baklava.  It just isn't the real thing.  After visiting Turkey, I got a better idea of what makes a good baklava, so I perfected a recipe.  But it was laden with butter.  I wanted to make a version that was completely vegan and tasted just as good.  I didn't capture all the sequence of photos for this batch.  Check my original baklava recipe for more detail: http://jlamode.com/baklava/ Start with a blend of nuts and coconut.  I like pistachios, pecans, walnuts and almonds, all in equal portions.  Chop them a little bit coarsely in a food processor and set aside.

The time consuming part of baklava is in the pastry.  It's easy enough to buy filo dough, but it has to be layered and brushed with coconut oil.  I start out by brushing the pan with oil, then a sheet of dough, then brush with oil.  I like to have 10-12 layers of dough for the bottom crust.  Then, add the nuts, about a centimetre deep.  The top pastry is the same procedure as the bottom crust, 10 layers of filo dough, brushed with coconut oil.  It's important to cut the baklava prior to baking. Then bake ~20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, at 350˚F.

The syrup is the thing that brings the baklava together.  The traditional recipe calls for honey, but to make it strict-vegan I use turbinado sugar.  It's sometimes called "raw," demerara or unrefined sugar.  I use equal portions of sugar and water - about a cup of each.  Then, I add a cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves and orange blossom water.  Bring to a boil and make sure all the sugar crystals have dissolved.  Set aside until the baklava is done baking.  Just before removing the baklava from the oven, return the syrup to a boil and strain our the cinnamon stick and cloves.

Working quickly, remove the baklava and pour the hot syrup over the pastry.

I wanted to add a bit extra to these, so I drizzled the top with vegan Belgian chocolate and added a sprinkle of shredded coconut.

Vegan - Gluten free Apple Crumble

This is one of my go-to dishes for my vegan and gluten free friends. It's got that classic nut-oat crust and an easy fruit filling.

First, add to the food processor the quick oats, nuts and a bit of salt. Chop until a fine crumbly texture and then add enough water to make a thick paste. Press the dough into a pan - it may be easiest to roll it between parchment first. Trim the dough around the edges to provide a uniform appearance. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes at 400˚F. Remove from the oven and place sliced apples on the dough-lined pan. Sprinkle over top a mix of oats, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes. The dough is quite different from regular flour dough, so keep an eye on it.

If I had to do it again, I'd use more apples. All the same, it's a nice sweet dessert.

Tarte Poire [Gluten free and Vegan Pear tarte]

A tasty sweet that's gluten free and vegan.

I started with the walnut-oat pastry dough that I typically use for crackers and pie crust.  Roll, cut and place in a spring-form pan.  I pre-baked the crust at 375F for ~20 minuted.  In the mean time, I prepared the filling: equal parts water and cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, brown sugar and vanilla.  Then, peel and slice the pears.

Fill the pans with the custardy mixture and arrange the pears.  Resume baking for another 20 minutes.  Allow them to cool and brush with pastry glaze - strained apricot jam.  Complete the dish with raspberries and sliced almonds.

It's got a good taste, but it's really heavy.  I think it would take on a new, lighter dimension by replacing some water with a bit of raw pear in the custard.

Chocolate & Mixed Nut Tarte [Vegan and Gluten Free]

The crust is made from ground almonds, walnuts, pecans and oats.  Add in a bit of cocoa powder and sugar to make it delightful.

Press the crust into a tarte pan and bake for half an hour.  Allow to cool while preparing the filling.

Melt the chocolate - non-dairy dark chocolate - and add a slash of milk and coconut oil.  Once melted, stir in an assortment of roasted nuts.  I used cashews, pecans, pistachios and hazelnuts.  Finally top it with select nuts, coconut flakes and Himalayan pink salt.

Once it's chilled, it's ready to devour!

Baklava

Baklava!  Sweet, savoury, crisp tops and chewy filling.

First, I like to make sure the nuts are dehydrated, so I warm raw almonds, pecans, walnuts and pistachios at 200F for 20 minutes.

While they're warming, alternately layer butter and sheets of phyllo dough - 10 layers of dough in total.

Coarsely grind the nuts and add them on top of the phyllo dough.  Although it's common to add another layer of dough and nuts, I prefer just the single layer.  An additional layer can get extra soggy.

Top with a dozen layers of buttered dough.  Cut in squares *before* baking - and be sure to trim up the sides (don't leave the sloppy edges like I did).  Bake at 350F for ~30 minutes.

While it's in the oven, prepare the syrup.  There are two options.  Both are tasty, but distinct: rose water, very floral and strong; orange blossom water, much lighter but still floral. Star Kay White Orange Blossom Water, 2.0 Ounce Star Kay White Rose Water, 2.0 Ounce

Boil sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and a flavouring.

When the baklava is done baking, allow it to cool for a minute or so.  Pour over the syrup until it's saturated - but not sloppy.

Let sit for at least an hour.  I let it sit overnight.  Not much better than fresh baklava with the morning coffee.

Sugar overload! ... but nuts are healthy, right?