Phyllo Purses Recipes

SWEET CHEESE PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Finely crumble the goat cheese with a fork in a medium bowl, then stir in the ricotta. Brush a 12-cup muffin pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter; set aside 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl for step 3.
• Use the remaining 6 tablespoons butter for the phyllo sheets: Brush the top of a phyllo sheet all over with butter, then stack 3 more sheets on top, brushing each with butter. Cut the stack in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds to make 6 squares. Press each square into a muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets and melted butter.
• Divide the cheese mixture among the phyllo-lined muffin cups, pressing with a spoon to flatten the filling into the cups. Fold in the phyllo to cover the filling, leaving a little hole in the center to vent steam. Brush the tops of the dough with the reserved 1 tablespoon melted butter. Put the pan on the oven floor and bake until the phyllo purses are dark golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F; move the muffin pan to the middle oven rack and continue baking until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water, cardamom and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, occasionally pressing on the cardamom pods with a spoon, until syrupy, about 8 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. Stir in the orange juice.
• Remove the phyllo purses to a platter as soon as they come out of the oven. Spoon about half of the syrup on top. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in the syrup, then top with the pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup and serve warm.

VEGETARIAN PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, toss eggplant, zucchini, garlic, and onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender, being sure to monitor so they don't burn. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
• While the vegetables are in the oven, make the chutney. Heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until it begins to shimmer. Add the shallot and saute until it begins to turn translucent, being careful not to burn it. Add the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, mango, and parsley, and allow the liquid to reduce by 2/3. Season with salt and pepper, stir in slurry to thicken and let cook for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Add the garbanzo beans, garlic, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse to combine and coarsely chop.
• Heat grapeseed oil over medium heat in a skillet and sear the tofu cubes. Set aside until needed.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• If phyllo was defrosted, make sure it is completely defrosted before handling it. Once removed from package, you will need to cover phyllo with waxed paper and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Working with 1 sheet at a time, lay out a dough sheet on a baking sheet and brush on butter, and lay another sheet on top and brush with butter. Fold in half, brush on butter again and fold in half again so you have a thickness of 8 layers. Spread 1 tablespoon hummus on phyllo and top with 1/4 cup of the roasted vegetable mixture and 1 tablespoon diced tofu. Fold in corners of phyllo dough to the center and brush with egg wash. Repeat to make 4 phyllo purses. Place on a baking sheet and bake in oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot with mango chutney on the side.

PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add shallots, and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, and cook until they are soft and all the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. When cool, fold in the creme fraiche and chervil until combined. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. Brush phyllo lightly with melted butter, and top immediately with a second sheet of phyllo. Brush again with butter, and top with a third sheet of phyllo. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets of phyllo. Using a pizza cutter, cut the stack of layered phyllo sheets into 24 four-inch squares.
• Place a teaspoon of mushroom filling in the center of each square. Carefully draw up the sides of the squares and pinch them together to seal in the filling. Place purses on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Tie a chive around each pinched phyllo purse, and top with 1/4 teaspoon caviar. Serve phyllo purses warm.

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• For brownies:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until thick and pale. Stir chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Press down edges until even with middle of brownies. Cool completely. Using 2 1/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)
• For ganache:
• Bring 1/4 cup whipping cream and vanilla extract to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Refrigerate ganache until firm, about 1 hour. (Ganache can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter rimmed baking sheet. Stir peanut butter and 4 teaspoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Cut each phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form twelve 13x81/2-inch strips. Place 1 phyllo strip vertically on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Place second phyllo strip horizontally across first, forming cross; brush with butter. Stack 2 brownies in center of pastry. Top brownies with 1 tablespoon ganache and 1 tablespoon peanut butter mixture. Gather ends of phyllo strips together over brownies to form purse. Twist ends closed. Brush purse with melted butter and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form total of 6 purses. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

PHYLLO APPLE STRUDEL PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 farenhiet. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Combine brown sugar, dried cherries, walnuts and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add apples and stir to evenly coat apples with sugar. Work with one sheet of phyllo at a time and keep remaining sheets covered. Fold phyllo cross-wise then lengthwise into quarters. Scoop one fourth of apple mixture ontu center of folded phyllo. Bring corners and sides of phyllo up into a bundle and pinch tightly at center to hold closed. Place bundle on prepared pan. Immediately brush phyllo with one teaspoon of the butter and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Repeat with remaining apple mixture and three sheets of phyllo. Bake 15 minutes or until phyllo is browned and apple juices begin to sizzle.

SPINACH, FETA, AND PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the onion in 1/4 cup of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, add the spinach, and cook the mixture, stirring, until it is combined well. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the Feta and the dill, and let the filling cool.
• Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo with a long side facing you on a work surface and brush it lightly with some of the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Lay another sheet and brush it lightly with some of the remaining oil. With a sharp knife cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds and cut each length crosswise into fifths, making 15 sections, each approximately 4 x 3 1/2 inches. Put a level teaspoon of the filling in the center of each phyllo section. Working with 1 section at a time gather the corners of th phyllo over the filling and twist the phyllo gently. Transfer the pastries to an oiled jelly-roll pan and make pastries with the remaining phyllo, oil, and filling, in the same manner. Bake the pastries in the lower third of a preheated 375°F. oven for 25 minutes, or until they are golden. The pastries may be baked 1 day in advance and kept covered loosely with plastic wrap and chilled. Reheat the pastries in a 375°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated through.

WARM APPLE AND APRICOT PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• Soak the apricots and the raisins in the 1 cup of white wine for 2 hours
• Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the wine
• Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over a medium flame
• Add the 1/4 cup of white wine
• Add the apples and the drained apricots and raisins
• Saute for 3 minutes
• Add the juice of 1/2 an orange and 1/2 of the lemon into the skillet and continue sauteeing
• Add the brown sugar, mix well with the fruit
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and remove from the flame
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the juice of the remaining 1 1/2 oranges
• Stir vigorously until smooth
• Put the pan of fruit back on the flame
• Slowly add the cornstarch mix to the pan, stirring continuously
• The mixture should start to thicken and caramelize
• You want it to be sticky, not runny
• Remove from the heat
• Unwrap the phyllo dough and lay out the sheets
• Cut the layered stack lengthwise and widthwise to make 4 rectangular quarter-stacks of 12 sheets each stack
• Take one rectangular sheet, brush around the edges with the melted butter
• Lay the next sheet on top, but at an angle
• Continue doing this 4 more times for a pile of 6 sheets, each sheet at an angle to the one below it
• Place a small mound of fruit in the middle
• Top the fruit with a square of chocolate
• Lift one edge toward the middle, gathering and pleating the dough as you go around the pile, pulling the edges to the middle to form a purse
• Make 8 purses this way (8 piles of 6 sheets each)
• Brush and drizzle each purse with melted butter
• Place the purses on a parchment line cookie sheet
• Bake 10 minutes
• Raise the heat to 350 degrees F, and bake another 15 minutes until the purses are golden
• Serve warm
• If you make the sheets in advance, rewarm for a few minutes in the oven to warm the fruit and melt the chocolate