what do you do with extra phyllo?
Good morning, everyone. Yes, a morning post.
Yesterday I tried to use up all my remaining phyllo dough by making a version of spanakopita. However, I had some left over sheets of dough…probably about 6-7 sheets. What to do with it? Make more spanakopita? No. Already have way too many leftovers. Make baklava? Close, but no. I have none of the necessary ingredients.
After scrounging around my refrigerator, I noticed I had an unopened container of creme fraiche and some pumpkin butter. What an interesting combination…
phyllo triangles with creme fraiche and pumpkin butter filling
Drizzled very lightly with honey, these triangles make a nice dessert…..or breakfast.
Ingredients:
phyllo dough
olive oil (or unsalted butter, whatever you prefer)
pumpkin butter
creme fraiche
*by the way, when working with phyllo, it always helps to lay it out on a baking sheet or other flat surface, covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. it keeps the dough from drying out, which is very important*
Method:
1. preheat oven to 350F.
2. lay out one sheet of phyllo and brush the top with olive oil (or your fat of choice). lay another sheet on top. repeat the process until you have 3-4 sheets.
3. vertically, cut about 2 1/2 – 3 inch wide strips. at the top of each strip, add maybe……2 tsp of creme fraiche and 2 tsp of pumpkin butter. fold as you would a flag (i posted a youtube video on how to do this in an earlier post)
4. continue this process until you’ve used up all your dough.
5. line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place all the triangles on. throw in the oven and bake until the triangles are golden brown. i’d say…about 15-30 minutes depending on your oven. just keep an eye on them.
a breakfast treat
The creme fraiche and pumpkin butter turned out to be a really good combination. It sort of tasted like a creamier pumpkin pie wrapped in buttery phyllo. You can fill these with anything, though, to make them either sweet or savory. I had some last night fresh out of the oven and they were so crunchy and gooey. This morning, I had some that had been in the refrigerator. They weren’t as gross as I thought they would be. In fact, the filling hardened slightly, and it was actually really enjoyable (at the expensive of the phyllo’s crunch). Drizzled with honey, it was a perfect pastry-esque breakfast to have with some good coffee (I would’ve preferred an espresso, but whatever).
a pretty simple use for pumpkin puree
Happy Friday, everyone. Glad the week is over? I, as always, am.
Last night I found a can of pumpkin puree in my cabinet. I don’t know what I was intending to do with it, as I bought it in the autumn before Thanksgiving. Perhaps I was hoping to make a bread.
For breakfast, I usually have an English muffin with some kind of spread. Strawberry-rhubarb preserves, apple butter, raspberry preserves, etc. I’m sure you can see where this is going. Although I have a jar of apple butter currently in use, why not add some variety and make pumpkin butter?
This recipe is pretty easy to improvise. Most recipes call for either apple juice or apple cider, but I really didn’t want the taste of apples near my pumpkin butter.
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling. DO NOT let that crap anywhere near anything you ever make with pumpkin)
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1/4 c sugar (give or take. I may have used less, you may want to use more if you like a sweeter spread)
1/2 c water
Method
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring often. You can take it off the heat whenever you feel it’s thick enough. If you want it really thick and concentrated, leave it on up to 30 minutes. I let this go for about 10-15 minutes. It’s about the consistency of apple butter (maybe a little thicker).
pumpkin butter
It tastes a lot like pumpkin pie, but not as thick and heavy. Definitely licked the spoon….and the bowl…..
