Savory MUSHROOM AND RICOTTA POP TARTS

+GFO

We all know of the standard sweet pop tart, but have you ever taken a bite into a savory one? Trust us, you’ll want to make this weekly once you take your first bite of our mushroom and ricotta pop tarts. The flakiness of the crust along with the creamy ricotta and warm mushrooms is incredibly addicting. We challenge you not to eat at least two the first time you try these savory tarts. —LM + AM

SERVES 6

1 cup (113 g) all-purpose flour (use gluten-free)

¾ cup (177 g) vegetable shortening

2 tsp (10 g) sea salt

½ cup (75 g) cornmeal

1 tbsp (3 g) chopped thyme

¼ cup (60 ml) ice-cold water

2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil, divided

1 cup (76 g) minced baby bella mushrooms

½ medium sweet onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp (16 g) lemon zest

1 cup (250 g) Vegan Ricotta, homemade or store-bought

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, vegetable shortening and salt. Mix until well combined. At this point, add the cornmeal and thyme. While mixing, slowly pour in the water until the dough forms a tight ball. Adjust the amount of water as needed.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place it onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out so it is ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Now cut 3 x 5-inch (7 x 12-cm) rectangles into the dough. When you’re done, you should have about 12 individual rectangles. Lay the rectangles out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to cool.

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to brown, stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 minutes. At this point, add the onions, garlic and black pepper. Continue to sauté the onion for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Whisk the lemon zest into your ricotta.

To assemble, remove your crust from the fridge. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta on all of the rectangles. Now, place a few tablespoons (45 g) of the mushroom-onion mixture on top of half of the rectangles. Take the remaining rectangles, the ones without mushrooms, and place them ricotta-side down on top of the mushroom-filled rectangles. Press the edges with a fork to seal the tarts and make 3 small slices on top of each tart. Brush the edges of the dough with a little water if they won’t stick together. Brush the tops of the tarts with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.

Bake them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes.