Spiced Apple Croustades
 
 
The apples mixture can be made and refrigerated a day in advance, so all that will be left to do is to layer the phyllo and assemble the croustades. It’s hard to find dairy-free desserts at this time of the year, with everything filled with heavy cream and butter. If you’re lucky enough to be a butter-eater, by all means enjoy, but for my dairy-free friends, the results are equally good with Earth Balance. Oh, and do be sure to thaw your phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight, as phyllo doesn’t take kindly to thawing in most other ways.
Author:
Serves: 12 croustades
Ingredients
  • For the Filling:
  • 3 pounds apples, a mix of tart and sweet
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter or Earth Balance vegan butter, melted
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed to a paste with 2 teaspoons water (optional)
  • Pastry and Assembly:
  • 12 13x18-inch sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (from a 1-pound package)
  • 1 stick butter or Earth Balance Butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (approximately) sugar
  • All-purpose flour (for pan)
  • powdered sugar for dusting
  • Equipment:
  • Standard muffin pan
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
  2. Butter the muffin cups and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  3. Unroll the phyllo onto a work surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel (squeeze out as much moisture from the towel as you can).
  4. Carefully transfer 1 sheet of phyllo to a clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the phyllo with a thin layer of butter, and sprinkle with a generous teaspoon of sugar. Top with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat 2 more times, for a total of four layers of phyllo.Cut the layered phyllo in half lengthwise, then cut both pieces in half crosswise, for a total of four pieces. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
  5. Repeat the process of layering and cutting two more times with the remaining phyllo, butter and sugar, for a total of 12 rectangles.
  6. Arrange the phyllo into each muffin cup, gently pressing the dough down the sides. Fill each cup with ¼ cup apple filling. Gather the edges of the phyllo and press toward the center to make a purse.
  7. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown on top, 27-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar. To remove from pan, run a paring knife around the edge of each croustade, and lift them out of the muffin cups onto a serving plate.
  8. Croustades can be returned to the muffin pan and re-warmed if needed.
Recipe by Spoon With Me at https://spoonwithme.com/apple-croustades/