Warm Apple and Apricot Phyllo Purses

Submitted by Mirj2338

"Created for RSC #6. Don't let phyllo dough scare you. This is a simple recipe, but with a very elegant presentation. If you make it ahead of time just rewarm it in the oven to warm the fruit and re-melt the chocolate. Prep time includes soaking time for the fruit in the wine."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled and cored and cut into 1/3 inch chunks
• 10 dried apricots, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 large oranges, juice of
• 1⁄2 small lemon, juice of
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• cinnamon, to taste
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 box phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refridgerator
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (get good quality stuff)

directions

1. Soak the apricots and the raisins in the 1 cup of white wine for 2 hours
2. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the wine
3. Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over a medium flame
5. Add the 1/4 cup of white wine
6. Add the apples and the drained apricots and raisins
7. Saute for 3 minutes
8. Add the juice of 1/2 an orange and 1/2 of the lemon into the skillet and continue sauteeing
9. Add the brown sugar, mix well with the fruit
10. Sprinkle with cinnamon and remove from the flame
11. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the juice of the remaining 1 1/2 oranges
12. Stir vigorously until smooth
13. Put the pan of fruit back on the flame
14. Slowly add the cornstarch mix to the pan, stirring continuously
15. The mixture should start to thicken and caramelize
16. You want it to be sticky, not runny
17. Remove from the heat
18. Unwrap the phyllo dough and lay out the sheets
19. Cut the layered stack lengthwise and widthwise to make 4 rectangular quarter-stacks of 12 sheets each stack
20. Take one rectangular sheet, brush around the edges with the melted butter
21. Lay the next sheet on top, but at an angle
22. Continue doing this 4 more times for a pile of 6 sheets, each sheet at an angle to the one below it
23. Place a small mound of fruit in the middle
24. Top the fruit with a square of chocolate
25. Lift one edge toward the middle, gathering and pleating the dough as you go around the pile, pulling the edges to the middle to form a purse
26. Make 8 purses this way (8 piles of 6 sheets each)
27. Brush and drizzle each purse with melted butter
28. Place the purses on a parchment line cookie sheet
29. Bake 10 minutes
30. Raise the heat to 350 degrees F, and bake another 15 minutes until the purses are golden
31. Serve warm
32. If you make the sheets in advance, rewarm for a few minutes in the oven to warm the fruit and melt the chocolate

Reviews

[Susie D]

DH really liked the taste of this filling and wished for ice cream alongside. I thought the oozing chocolate added to the dessert and the crisp phyllo provided a nice contrast. I used a peach flavored white wine to soak the fruit. I did take one shortcut in making this recipe, I poured the wine over the apicots and raisens and plumped them in the microwave to save time. It worked out fine. :-) The presentation of the purses was visually appealing also. Good job!!