Recipe and images courtesy of Rebel Recipes (@rebelrecipes on Instagram)
Crispy, golden filo pastry filled with sweet caramelised onions, tangy cranberries, crunchy walnuts and melted cheese. These little festive cups are packed with flavour and look gorgeous on a Christmas party platter. They’re easy to prepare ahead too, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the festivities.
Makes: 8 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 60g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 60g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 4 large sheets filo pastry, approximately 25 × 40cm
- 80g vegan cheese, grated
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply softened and caramelised.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dried cranberries and thyme. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until glossy and sticky. Remove from the heat and stir through the walnuts. Season to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Lightly grease eight holes of a muffin tin.
- Cut each filo sheet into eight roughly equal squares. Layer four squares in each muffin hole, brushing lightly with olive oil between the layers and rotating them slightly to create pointed edges.
- Divide the onion mixture evenly between the pastry cups and sprinkle with the grated vegan cheese.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully lifting out.
- Finish with a few extra thyme leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cook’s tip: The onion filling can be prepared up to two days ahead. Assemble and bake the filo cups shortly before serving for the crispiest pastry. Keep unused filo covered with a slightly damp tea towel while working.
