Although these require a few steps, they are well worth the effort! Rich and satisfying, these are like gourmet, dairy-free, egg-free candy bars!
For this recipe, I use this vegan ganache, but, if you're in a pinch for time, just grate a dairy-free chocolate bar to garnish the tassies before serving.
Makes 22 to 24 tassies
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- For the dough:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup dairy-free soy margarine (1 stick)
- 4 ounces (1/2 of 1 8-oz tub) dairy-free cream cheese, such as Toffuti
- ------------
- For the caramel filling:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light agave nectar or light corn syrup
- 2 T. water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (not lite coconut milk)
- 2 T. dairy-free soy margarine
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans
- -----------
- 1 recipe vegan ganache, for topping (see head note)
Preparation:
1. Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside. In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the soy margarine and dairy-free cream cheese with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, mixing until well combined. In 3 additions, add the flour mixture, mixing until forming a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop or work surface, shape it into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap, taking care to ensure that there are no air leaks in the plastic. Refrigerate the dough overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly oil 2 12-cup muffin trays and set aside.
3. Divide the dough in half, keeping one half in the refrigerator while working with the other. Between two pieces of parchment, roll out one half of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet (with the parchment) into the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other half.
4. Remove the dough from the freezer, and, using a 4" fluted tartlet pan, cookie cutter or just a knife, divide each half into 11-12 pieces, rolling each out a bit more if necessary. Fit each piece into the prepared muffin tin and prick the bottoms of each lightly with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, turning the pan half-way through to ensure even baking. Remove the cups immediately from the pan and set on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling. 1 recipe vegan ganache, for topping (see head note) In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar, agave nectar and water to a boil, stirring well at first to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat to low and cook until the liquid is deep amber in color, about 12 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking. Remove the pan from heat. Very carefully (the mixture will bubble), stir in the coconut milk, dairy-free soy margarine and salt until smooth. Stir in the nuts and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
6. Place the cooled shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment (this is optional, but I find it reduces any messes or accidents-- caramel is VERY hot!). Portion the filling into each of the prepared shells. Allow the tassies to cool for 10-15 minutes before topping with vegan ganache.
