BRUSSELS SPROUTS TARTELETTES, HOMEMADE HAZELNUT CRUST!
Hello! For today’s autumn lunch I bring you happiness in shape of tartelettes. This homemade crispy crust is nice to use either for sweet or savoury preparations.
+ it’s very easy to prepare and you don’t need a pastry robot to do this!
INGREDIENTS - yield 6 -
• For the crust
Flour 180 gr
Whole hazelnuts or hazelnut powder 140 gr
Canne sugar 1 TBSP
Salt 1 tsp
Vegan butter 120 gr
Olive oil 30 gr
Water (cold) 5 TBSP
Agar-agar 1/2 TBSP
• For the filling
Olive oil 6 TBSP
Red onions (finely chopped) 300 gr
Garlic (finely chopped) 4 cloves
Salt 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp
Fresh brussels sprouts (rinsed) 500 gr
Tofu firm and silky (drained) 250 gr
Lemon juice 2 TBSP
Tahini paste 2 TBSP
Rice vinegar 2 TBSP
Veganegg powder (easily replaceable with lupini beans powder) 2 TBSP
Ricotta veggie 200 gr
PROCESS
To start with the hazelnut powder, I personally prefer to mix whole nuts in a blender until a smooth and homogeneous flour is obtained.
In the bowl of the food processor mix the flours, sugar, agar-agar and salt. Using the tip of your fingers stir in the vegan butter until crumbly.
In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil and water. Then add to the crumble mixture, trying to pour in just enough to form a dough. You can use your (clean) hands at this point to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
Form a ball, film and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then in a floured surface roll out the dough to get 1/2 cm thick homogeneous dough and cut it into 12 cm diameter circles or slightly bigger than your baking moulds. Put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes. This way, the dough will not shrink during baking.
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Bake the crusts lined with baking paper and ceramic balls for 18 minutes. Remove the paper and balls and bake it for another 5 min.
Set the oven temperature to 175º C.
Prepare the filling. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, adding the red onions when hot. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are lightly caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Add remaining olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and chilli flakes and cook until the garlic smells good, about 4-5 minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Set aside.
In a steamer basket placed over boiling water, steam brussels sprouts for 3-5 minutes, or until the sprout is bright green and slightly crispy. Cut them in half lengthwise and mix with the onion mixture and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, blend the tofu, lemon juice, tahini, rice vinegar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Incorporate the ricotta folding with a spatula and correct the seasoning. Pour the sprouts over the prepared pie crust and carefully pour the filling over the brussels sprouts to complete 3/4 of the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and set. Serve warm. Buon apetito!