Heavenly. That’s what these are. Flaky pockets of phyllo filled with sweet, creamy pumpkin filling. I do my best to limit my refined sugar and gluten intake, however a girl’s gotta live now ‘n then. I say if you’re gonna cheat, make it worth your while – and these are DEFINITELY worth the occasional splurge.

In last week’s Harvest Vegetable Stew post, I asked you to stay tuned for Pumpkin Spice Turnovers from the same cookbook, Big Vegan by Robin Asbell. I am really, really loving this cookbook so far. There are just SO MANY recipes that I can’t wait to try – like Marsala-Mushroom Crepes and Three-Nut “Cheese” Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa and, and, and – the list goes on. Vegan or not, this book would make a great addition to anyone’s kitchen.

For once, I am not going to complain about my photos today! I’m actually pretty happy with them. In fact, I’ll warn you now that this post may load a little slowly because it is chock-full of photos. Bear with me – it’s not often I like SO MANY photos, so humor me just for today.

YIELDS 10 TURNOVERS

***

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin*
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup tofu “cream cheese”
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ cup coconut oil
10 sheets vegan phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
¼ cup turbinado or unrefined sugar 

*NOTES:
You’ll have about ¾ cup left of canned pumpkin, which is exactly how much you need for this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe.

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, “cream cheese,” cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Puree to mix.

STEP 2
Melt the coconut oil, if necessary, and put it in a cup with a pastry brush. Unwrap the phyllo, take out the ten sheets needed, and place them on a clean counter. Cover with plastic wrap and then a damp towel to keep them from drying out. Rewrap and freeze the remaining phyllo.

STEP 3
Take one sheet of phyllo and brush half of it (lengthwise) with coconut oil, and sprinkle up to 1 teaspoon of the turbinado/unrefined sugar over the brushed area. Fold the sheet in half  lengthwise, brush half again, then fold in half again, making a long strip.

Place 1-2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom right corner of the sheet and fold it up like a flag, corner to corner. Continue to flip the triangle (don’t fold them too tightly or the will explode in the oven), until you get near the end of the strip. Slice off the top left corner of remaining unwrapped phyllo, then brush remaining “tab” with coconut oil and fold over to seal the pocket.

STEP 4
Place it, seam-side down, on the prepared pan. Brush turnover with coconut oil, sprinkle with turbinado/unrefined sugar and cut too small slits in the top. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling.

STEP 5
Bake, uncovered, until the turnovers are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on racks and serve warm.

They are absolutely the best when served fresh and warm, while the phyllo is crispy and flaky. They get soft and a little mushy by the next day, but they reheat nicely in the toaster oven (on low).

One more time, I just want to say thank you to everyone who registered for the Stella & Dot Giveaway by commenting, subscribing, liking the Facebook pages, tweeting, etc. I had so much fun watching all the entries tally up! And I’m so glad you all love that adorable wallet as much as I do. I announced the winner on Facebook today, as well as at the original post (via the Rafflecopter app) – congrats to Jackie! More giveaways to come, I promise ;)

Now go make yourself some turnovers and indulge just a little. If you can manage to share them, prepare to be adored.

p.s. Hubs LOVED these. He wanted you to know.