Mini lemon phyllo tarts

Aside from all things chocolate, another dessert I often crave is a lemon tart.  There is something great about the balance of tart and sweet, the crispness of the crust versus the creaminess of the filling.   

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't mind jumping right back into talking about food and desserts!  Continuing the theme of mini desserts and small bites, and to satisfy my all-too-frequent craving, I recently made a small batch of these easy mini lemon tarts using prepared phyllo cups.  It's a simpler, faster - not to mention, lighter - way to satisfy that lemon tart craving.  And it's the holiday season when party foods, small bites, and variety is the name of the game.  A mini dessert like this brightens up the table and taste-wise, it's light and fresh, packed with a strong lemon punch that provides so much flavor in each small bite.  

These mini phyllo cups from the supermarket are very handy.  I usually use them for savory fillings (I'm thinking of a spin on crab cakes at my Christmas party this year) but they're naturally great for many kinds of sweet filling, including lemon curd.  

I was inspired to make these after watching a cooking show.  From it, I picked up the tip of lightly spraying the phyllo shells with cooking spray and sprinkling them with some granulated sugar before baking for them for a few minutes to help make and keep the shells really crunchy.  I made a small batch of lemon curd for the filling and topped the little tartlets with a little bit of whipped cream, to which I added some fresh lemon zest. You can leave out the whipped cream if you like but I think they make them look extra special.

These phyllo cups are so incredibly crispy, shattering in your mouth, and cushioning all that lovely tart yet sweet flavor of the lemon curd.  It's easy to eat many of these! 

I can't help but think I'd love to make some chocolate mousse tartlets and set them alternating with these lemon ones on a big platter for a holiday party. Don't you love all the food and variety we conjure up during the holiday season? Here's to many, many tasty small bites and lots and lots of celebrations to go with it in the month ahead!  


To start, pick yourself up a packet of mini phyllo cups.  I generally find the Athens brand that comes in a pack of 15.  For my small-scale recipe, I made half a batch of lemon curd and this should be just about enough to fill the 15 little cups.

These mini phyllo cups are literally just 15 calories a piece.  It's a great option for holiday bites when we're faced with so many options and need to make space for a ton of food!

Now the best thing about baked phyllo is that incredible crispness!  As I mentioned, I was watching a cooking show and learned a simple trick of upping that crispiness.  I normally bake the cups for 5 minutes or so to crisp them up before filling but this time, I sprayed them with a little cooking spray and sprinkled some granulated sugar over them before baking.  I didn't use nearly as much sugar as the recipe suggests but I do think the sugar adds texture and almost provides a little barrier between the wet filling and the crispy shell to insulate them and keep them crispier, longer.  

I made my lemon curd the day before and kept it chilling in the fridge.  To assemble, bake the phyllo cups, let cool and then fill.  Adding a touch of whipped cream, beaten with fresh lemon zest, completes them.  

For best results, make these the day you plan to serve them.  You can assemble the tartlets a few hours in advance and store the them in the refrigerator (I just left them uncovered).  They hold up and still taste good the next day but the phyllo cups will naturally lose most of its crispness.  Since lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days and the phyllo cups only take minutes to warm up, you could even bake as few or as many as you like "a la minute". 

I think lemony desserts are enjoyable any time of year.  I hope you agree!

Recipe:

Mini Lemon Phyllo Tarts
Idea adapted from Damaris Phillips; lemon curd recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

- Makes 15 - 

For Lemon Curd:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons), preferably organic/unsprayed

1/4 cup sugar (use 1/3 cup sugar if you prefer a sweeter curd)

Zest of half a lemon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Pinch of salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

For tart shells:

15 frozen phyllo tart shells, such as Athens brand

Cooking spray

1-2 teaspoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Optional garnish: Whipped cream, flavored with fresh lemon zest; lemon zest

For the lemon curd, place sugar into a small, non-reactive saucepan.  Zest lemon directly over the sugar.  Using your fingertips, rub the lemon into the sugar until it feels slightly moistened.  Add lemon juice, salt, and butter.  Heat the mixture over a low flame.

Whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl and set it nearby.

When the butter is melted, temper the eggs by whisking in some of the warm lemon mixture into it.  Scrape the warmed eggs back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a consistency like soft jelly.

Pour the lemon curd through a strainer into a bowl.  Place a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it directly on top of the curd, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Place phyllo tart shells on a small baking sheet.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle over with granulated sugar.  Bake for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown (keep an eye on it to avoid over-browning or burning).  Set aside to cool completely.

Assemble by distributing the lemon curd among the mini tart shells.  If desired, top with a dollop of freshly whipped cream (I whipped about 1/4 cup of heavy cream with a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of vanilla extract, and zest of half a lemon) and garnish with additional lemon zest.  Set on a platter and serve.  If not serving immediately, you can place the assembled tarts in the refrigerator for a few hours until needed (I leave them uncovered).  They are best eaten the day they're made since the phyllo cups will lose its crispness.