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!  

Phyllo cups for what else...more ice cream!

When I was a kid, I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up (still don't, I think) but I did fantasize sometimes about being a caterer.  I wasn't serious about it but it seemed like something I'd like to do.  In my daydreams, however, the job didn't involve any messy cleanup or even a lot of unglamorous prep work.  I would be catering beautiful Martha Stewart-esque affairs, with fine linen, gorgeous flower arrangements, and an abundance of delectable food.  And much of the food would be in miniature form.  I saw myself in something like a crisp, white chef's coat laying out miles of miniature hors d'oeuvre and assembling decadent but tasteful dessert tables.

I always envisioned plenty of canapés at these parties, with delicious things stuffed inside small, crispy phyllo cups, for instance.  Like puff pastry, you can buy ready to use phyllo dough in the freezer section of the supermarket.  I bought a box on a whim months ago (probably around Christmas again when I just can't resist stocking up on everything and thinking about all the food I'd like to prepare but mostly don't get around to) and it's been sitting there in the freezer ever since.  So I finally decided to make some of those phyllo cups that I always associate with parties.

To make these cups, I stacked a few sheets of phyllo dough on top of each other with some melted butter and sugar in between, then baked them in a standard muffin tin (though mini muffin tins may be more appropriate for those fantasy catering jobs).  They are great little holders for ice cream and sorbet as well as anything creamy like mousse or pudding.

You could use phyllo cups in a sweet or savory manner.  For me and for right now, it's all about ice cream.  Even though ice cream really needs no adornment, I love putting and serving it in edible cups and bowls.

I still have a lot of phyllo sheets left in my freezer.  I might have to get more creative and start working on a phyllo pizza crust or something before too long.