Preparation time: 15 minutes, excluding soaking of cashew nuts
Baking time: 20 to 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
¦ You need:
– Tart
• 400 g vegan puff pastry
• 2 pears, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• plant-based milk for brushing the pastry
• pinch of black pepper
– Cashew cream cheese
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for three to four hours
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• pinch of sea salt
– Serving suggestion
• fresh rocket
• thyme sprigs
• toasted walnuts
• edible flowers
¦ Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Make sure the puff pastry is defrosted and roll it out. Fold the edges in on the sides and, using a fork, make patterns across the edges as well as across the middle of the rolled-out pastry. Brush the pastry with plant milk and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
3. To make the cashew cream cheese, rinse the soaked cashew nuts and place into a high speed blender along with the water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt. Blend until a beautiful rich and silky smooth consistency.
4. In a bowl combine the pear slices with the lemon juice, maple syrup and black pepper. Mix well.
5. Remove the pastry from the oven and place the pears on top. Bake in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the pastry as you want it to be nice and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before decorating with generous dollops of the cream cheese, fresh rocket, thyme sprigs, toasted walnuts and edible flowers. – Mira Weiner/Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing
