Vegan, Sugar-Free Phyllo Apple Turnovers

These are easy, quick to assemble,vegan and sugar free — yet they`re flaky, sweet and (just) gooey enough to satisfy everyone.

Think McDonald`s Apple Pie — ONLY MADE WITH REAL FOOD.

The shopping list is pretty simple.  I used:

• Organic BC Golden Delicious Apples gathered from the deep corners of the cellar (these shriveled skin babies had seen better days — it is, after all, June)
• Spelt Phyllo (making these lower on the gluten scale than regular phyllo)
• Cinnamon from the Gathering Place Trading Company (quite simply the best cinnamon I have ever come across.  One smell and you`ll be hooked)
• Unprocessed Stevia from the Gathering Place – it’s a swampy-green colour, not the “clean” white of processed stevia.  (Stevia comes from a plant.  What colour do you think it should be?)
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil

Of course, in my world, there is nothing wrong with butter and sugar — so if you want to use those in place of the olive oil and stevia, then go crazy.  I made these for a bake sale fundraiser, and I wanted to make something for the crowds of vegans that live here on our little left-coast island paradise.

And I must say, there’s really no need for the butter or sugar here — it would simply weigh down what is a delightfully spiced and lightly sweet apple filling.  So there.

For 12 Apple Turnovers

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Peel, core and chop 6 apples into small pieces.  Toss the apples with lemon juice, cinnamon to taste, and 1/4 teaspoon of powdered stevia.

Keep unused phyllo sheets under a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out as you work.  Brush 1 sheet of phyllo lightly with olive oil.  Fold in half lengthwise, brush lightly with oil, then fold in half again.  You now have 4 layers of phyllo in a 4.5″ x 13″ strip.

Place approx 1/2 cup apple near one end of the phyllo, then fold as you would a spanokopita:  bring the left bottom corner up and across to the right edge to form a triangle.  Fold the triangle up and over.  Now bring the bottom right corner up and across to the left edge.  Fold the triangle up and over, and secure the last corner with a drop of olive oil.

Place on a baking sheet and brush the top lightly with olive oil.  Fold the remaining turnovers, then bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.