Buttery vegan dough surrounds cinnamon-spiced apples for the perfect afternoon treat. Try this dessert knish!
While knishes are usually savory (often potato-filled, like my vegan potato knishes, or sometimes filled with cheese), I love the idea of combining buttery knish dough with a sweet filling. These knishes feature apples with cinnamon and sugar encased in an easy-to-prepare dough - perfect for a fall afternoon.
This sweet apple knish recipe uses aquafaba (chickpea liquid) instead of eggs. Scroll down for details on how to collect the aquafaba. (Need something to do with the chickpeas after you've collected the aquafaba? Check out my recipe for Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas!)
How to Make the Sweet Apple Knishes
Gather your ingredients.
Make the Knish Dough
Whip the aquafaba until it is thoroughly foamy (about 1 minute). Set aside.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the non-dairy butter using a pastry blender or two knives. It's okay if some small pieces of butter remain (this will make the dough flakier).
Add the water to the whipped aquafaba and beat to combine, then add this mixture to the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky and wet, but it should come together in a very loose ball. If it seems too liquidy, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
Make the Sweet Apple Filling
Place the apples, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Warm a skillet over low-medium heat and add the apple mixture to the skillet. Saute the mixture for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened (try not to overcook them, or they will be become gooey).
Remove the apple mixture from heat and allow it to cool. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge while the dough rests.
Assemble and Bake the Sweet Apple Knishes
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the knish dough out onto a generously floured surface and turn it over a few times to coat with flour. Roll the knish dough out into a large rectangle; add flour as needed.
Divide the dough into two long rectangles. Place five portions of apple-cinnamon filling, each about 2-3 tablespoons' worth, across each rectangle of dough. Leave at least a ½-inch in between each scoop of filling. Cut the dough in between the scoops of filling, so that you now have 10 pieces of dough.
Gently roll the first piece of dough toward you, around the filling, carefully stretching the dough so that one edge of it overlaps the other, and seal it with your fingers. Twist one end of dough, and then the other, and then turn upright. Repeat for the remaining nine knishes.
Place the sweet apple knishes on the baking sheet and brush the top of each knish lightly with the agave-water mixture. Sprinkle with decorating sugar. Bake for 26-30 minutes, until the knishes are golden brown. Allow the sweet apple knishes to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before serving.
How to Collect the Aquafaba
To obtain the aquafaba, you can either drain the liquid (this part is the aquafaba!) from a can of chickpeas (then set the chickpeas aside and use them for another purpose, such as my Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas), or use the liquid from cooking dried chickpeas (I like the method outlined by TastingTable, here).
Storage
Store the baked sweet apple knishes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. For best results, reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes. Knishes may also be frozen for up to 2-3 months; reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes. When reheating, cover with foil as needed to prevent the outsides from browning too much.
Sweet Apple Knishes
Ingredients
Knish Dough
- 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy butter, cubed
- ½ cup water
Apple-Cinnamon Filling
- 4-5 apples coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 tablespoon decorating sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make the knish dough. Add the aquafaba to a small bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the aquafaba until it is thoroughly foamy (about 1 minute). Set aside.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the non-dairy butter to the dry ingredients and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The ingredients should be well integrated, but it's okay if some small pieces of butter remain - this will make the knishes flakier!
- Add the water to the whipped aquafaba and beat with the hand mixer to combine. Add the aquafaba-water mixture to the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky and wet, but it should come together in a very loose ball.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Make the filling. Place the apples, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Warm a skillet over low-medium heat and add the apple mixture to the skillet. Saute for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened (don't overcook them, or they will be become gooey).
- Remove the apple mixture from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge while the dough rests.
- Assemble the knishes. After two hours or when you are ready to assemble the knishes, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the knish dough out onto a generously floured surface and turn it over a few times to coat with flour. Roll the floured dough out into a large rectangle, sprinkling flour as needed if the dough feels sticky.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into two long rectangles, cutting from left to right as you are facing the dough. Place five portions of apple-cinnamon filling, each about two tablespoons' worth, across each rectangle of dough (for 10 total portions). There should be at least a ½-inch in between each scoop of filling.
- Use your knife or bench scraper to cut the dough in between the scoops of filling, so that you now have 10 pieces of dough, each with a scoop of filling. Gently roll the first piece of dough around the filling, from top to bottom, sealing the edge with your fingers. Twist one end of dough, and then the other, and then turn upright; the top and bottom of the knish should now be sealed. Repeat this process for the remaining nine knishes.
- Bake the knishes. Combine 1 teaspoon of agave with 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl. Place the knishes on the parchment-lined baking sheet, then brush the top of each knish lightly with the agave-water mixture. Sprinkle with decorating sugar. Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until the knishes are golden brown.
- Allow the knishes to cool on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Knishes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. For best results, reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.
- To obtain the aquafaba, drain the liquid (this part is the aquafaba!) from a can of chickpeas (or from cooking dried chickpeas), then set the chickpeas aside and use them for another purpose.
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