Vegan Baklava Food

VEGAN BAKLAVA (THE JOY OF VEGAN BAKING - TJOVB)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Margarine the bottom and sides of a 9X13 - inch baking dish.
• 2. In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the vanilla and agave nectar. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. You want this to be completely cooled before pouring onto the baked baklava.
• 3. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until they're a coarse meal (not fine crumbs). Add the cinnamon and mix. Set aside.
• 4. Carefully unroll the phyllo dough from the package. Trim the stack of dough into 9x13 inch sheets, so they fit into the pan (I use Athens Fillo Dough and it fits almost perfectly, so I don't trim it down). Keep the sheets that you're not working with covered with some waxed paper and a damp cloth (the waxed paper goes directly on top of the dough, the wet towel on top. If you have a helper, they can lift the paper/cloth as needed, makes it easier). Place 2 sheets of dough in the pan, and using a pastry brush, coat the top sheet completely with margarine. Spread a thin layer of the nut mixture, add 2 more sheets of phyllo. Repeat with the butter, nut mixture, and 2 phyllo sheets until you have a total of 8 layered sheets. For the top layer, place 2-4 phyllo sheets, but this time brush margarine between each individual sheet.
• 5. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. This is important to do now because you won't be able to cut the baklava once it's baked without crushing the pastry.
• 6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the baklava is golden. Remove from the oven and immediately pour or spoon the (completely cooled) sauce over. Cool uncovered for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

VEGAN BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely chop half of the chopped walnuts, and all of the chopped almonds.
• Mix nuts with spices, stir well, and set aside for now --
• Cut the sheets of phyllo dough in half lengthwise, then stack the cut sheets on top of each other.
• Remove 6 phyllo dough sheets, and cover the rest with a moist, clean towel.
• Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of a greased 9 x 12 pan (or whatever works) and lightly spray it with oil. Cover with another sheet, oil, and repeat this step until all 6 sheets are stacked on top of each other. Sprinkle one third of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo dough in the pan.
• Add 6 more phyllo dough layers using the process above, add more nuts, repeat etc.
• Using a sharp, oiled knife, cut the whole pan of phyllo dough vertically and horizontally, into as many pieces as appropriate.
• Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, lower the heat to 300°F and bake for about another 20 minutes, check to see if it's golden brown on the top, it might take an additional 10 minutes or so --
• While that's baking, mix the sugar, lemon juice, and maple syrup over low heat until it thickens. Once thickened, remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Pour the mixture over the baklava as soon as it is done and out of the oven.
• Let the baklava cool in the fridge before serving.

VEGAN MAPLE BAKLAVA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Grease and line a 7" cake pan with professional bakery pan grease and parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Lightly toast all the walnuts from all the recipes above together in one large sheet pan, then divide them up later. For less than 8 minutes at 350° will be fine, you do not want to over toast them, or they get very bitter.
• Prepare the crust by placing 1¼ cups of the cooled toasted walnuts in a food processor with the cinnamon and the maple sugar.
• Add the melted vegan butter and process to a fine grind, be sure not to make a paste, you are not making butter!
• Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
• For the cheesecake combine all the ingredients together in a food processor and process smooth, scraping the sides and making sure that is is ultra smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake in a water bath at 350°F for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour turn the oven off and let it cool inside the oven for another hour.
• Cool on the counter the rest of the way, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before un-molding.
• Meanwhile make the baklava by combining the other walnuts (1½ cups) with the cinnamon and candied orange (if using) and pulse to a fine grind. Be careful not to over process or you will have a nut butter!
• Carefully unroll the package of phyllo dough and cut it in half down the center (like the fold of a book)
• Save one half for another baking project and then cut the other half to fit your 7" diameter springform pan.
• Layer the phyllo in the bottom of the lightly greased 7" springform pan 2 sheets at a time and brush only the top of the 2nd sheet lightly with the melted vegan butter.
• Repeat for a total of 8 sheets (or 4 doubled layers of Phyllo)
• Pour the walnut cinnamon mixture over top and then repeat the layering and buttering of the remaining sheets of Phyllo.
• Cut the baklava before baking into 8 wedges and bake in a preheated 350°F oven (I do this while the cheesecake is baking) for 35 minutes or until golden browned and the pastry is flaked and cooked through
• Meanwhile cook the maple syrup with the water and orange to a boil and let boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and reserve.
• When the baklava is done baking, remove from the oven and immediately pour the maple syrup mixture (remove the oranges) over the hot baklava.
• Let it cool at room temperature until you are ready to top your cheesecake with it!