Adminusa, January 23, 2012 11:55 am
A touch of ginger and raspberry jam adds some spicy-sweetness to these flaky pastries. Definitely a seductive starter for a romantic Valentine’s dinner!
Chik’N, Pear, Raspberry & Brie Phyllo Purse Appetizers
Makes 4- servings
Prep Time- 25 min.
Cook Time- 12 min.
Ingredients-
7 Tbsp. butter, divided
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbsp. chopped crystalized ginger
½ cup finely chopped pear (about ½ med. pear)
¼ cup white wine
1 cup Quorn™ Chik’n Tenders
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. raspberry preserves
2 Tbsp. toasted, sliced almonds
8 sheets (13-1/2x9-inch each) frozen phyllo pastry, thawed (from a 16 oz. pkg.)
4 Tbsp. Brie cheese, cold
4 long strips scallion (dark green parts)
12 fresh raspberries opt.
Directions -
Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in medium, non-stick skillet over med.-low heat; add onions and ginger. Cook, while stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
- Increase heat to medium-high and stir in pear. Add wine and Quorn™ Chik’n Tenders. Cook, while stirring, 4-5 minutes or until wine has evaporated and mixture is fairly dry; season with salt. Stir in preserves until melted and well blended into the Quorn™ mixture. Stir in almonds. Remove from heat; set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 6 tablespoons of the butter.
For each phyllo purse, cut 2 phyllo sheets in half crosswise to form four
6-3/4 x 4-1/2-inch pieces. Working quickly, place 1 phyllo piece vertically on work surface, brush with melted butter. Place second phyllo piece horizontally across, brush with butter. Repeat 2 more times to have 4 layers of phyllo. Top with ¼ of the Quorn™ mixture (about 1/3 cup) and 1 tablespoon of the Brie. Enclose filling by gathering phyllo and carefully twisting top to form purse. Tie 1 scallion strip around twisted section of each phyllo purse, forming knot. Transfer phyllo purse to lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and Quorn™ mixture to make 4 phyllo purses. Bake phyllo purses 12 minutes until golden and heated through. Garnish each serving with 3 raspberries, if desired.
Tips:
*Phyllo pastry can be tricky to work with because it’s fragile and dries out fast, so it’s important to work quickly. For an easy way to butter the sheets try pouring the melted butter into a clean spray bottle and just spritz each sheet with butter instead of brushing it. This prevents tearing the delicate pastry.
*Try substituting apricot preserves for the raspberry preserves and chopped, toasted macadamia nuts, walnuts or pecans for the almonds for a subtle flavor change.