One of the greatest joys of cooking for me is the creative aspect that goes into recipe development.
It's always a lot if fun to create something fun and refreshing because there is so much talent in the world and so many ways to apply ideas from across cuisines. That is certainly the case in this recipe.
Ginger and cardamom has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years. However, it was truly satisfying to taste test and see just how incredible it was paired with apples and raspberries. Also, instead of using a heavier puff pastry, the phyllo sheets are lovely with the delicate flavors of the fillings and the topping is simply ooh la la!
Cream cheese whipped up with a little bit of lemon curd, mascarpone and thick Greek yogurt the combination is nothing short of heavenly. So much so that I think it would be wonderful on sorts of things like toasted bagels, fresh fruit and even simple toast.
All in all, these finger food treats and a quick and easy treat for hot days, long holiday weekends and the perfect way to feed a crowd.
So enjoy these lovely refreshing baked treats and Happy 4th of July USA!
warmly,
Devaki
Recipe for
Apple & Raspberry Phyllo Triangles with Lemon Curd Topping
Makes 4 servings - 12 phyllo triangles
Shopping list
1 golden delicious apple
½ cup raspberries
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
½ tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. cornstarch
8 sheets phyllo pastry – defrosted
Non-stick olive oil baking spray
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
Topping:
½ bar cream cheese – at room temperature
2 tbsp. mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp. lemon curd
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1-1/2 tbsp. powdered/confectioners sugar
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F.
Apple – Peel and chop. Place in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice.
Olive oil & butter mixture: Microwave for 15 seconds until the butter has melted. Stir and set aside with a pastry brush ready to use.
Filling: In a mixing bowl, add all the berries, sugar, cornstarch, grated ginger root, ground cardamom & brown sugar. Add the apples and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Topping: In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 30 seconds until soft and whisk to cream. To the cream cheese add the mascarpone cheese, lemon curd, plain Greek yogurt & powdered/confectioners sugar. Whish to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to eat. If you refrigerate, it will harden so microwave for 30 seconds before serving or bring to room temperature slowly on the counter top.
Method:
Unroll the phyllo and lay it flat on a clean, dry surface. Separate 8 sheets and return the remaining phyllo in the refrigerator in the original packing.
Work with first 2 sets of sheets and place on a clean baking tray. Using non-stick olive oil spray, spray between 2 sheets. Using a scale as a guide and a sharp chefs knife and using your judgment, cut the sheets into 3 equally wide long strips.
Spoon 1 tbsp.-full filling on the lower end of each length. Fold up the phyllo strips as you would a flag to create a neat triangle. Once you get to end, use the pastry brush and apply to edges to seal each triangle.
Transfer the triangles to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the phyllo sheets and filling until used up. Brush the top of the phyllo triangles liberally with oil and butter mixture using a pastry brush.
Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes until a beautiful golden brown. Set aside for about 5 minutes and serve with topping.
You can also serve these warm, preferably or at room temperature but not chilled.
Enjoy!
