Page 418 - YC Cooking School

Cut shapes large enough to form a decent sized cup. You want there to be enough space to

accommodate all the delicious fillings and toppings so you won’t be forced to skimp later. A
good rule of thumb is to cut the phyllo into shapes that are roughly double the size of the
individual muffin tin cups. For a strong phyllo pastry cup, use at least two layers of pastry.

Keep it covered

If you’re not going to cook the prepared pieces of phyllo pastry immediately, make sure that
you store them in an airtight container. Also, remember to keep the pastry that you’re
working with covered with a damp tea towel. If you don’t, the pastry will dry out and quickly
become brittle before it’s cooked, which doesn’t help anyone.

Butter the layers for irresistable crispiness
For perfectly cooked phyllo pastry, carefully brush each layer with either butter - or honey if
you have a sweet tooth - before topping it with a second layer (there’s no need to brush the
top layer). The butter helps the pastry crisp up while cooking and also protects the pastry
cup from becoming soggy once the filling is added. Get in touch with your inner
perfectionist and be painstaking when placing one piece of phyllo on top of the next,
because once stuck it's tricky business to separate the layers.

Help the phyllo cups stay in shape
For beautifully shaped phyllo cups every time, follow this simple tip: place scrunched-up
balls of foil in the centre of each cup for the first 6-7 minutes of its baking time. This nifty
little trick helps prevent the soft phyllo pastry from collapsing onto itself. After this time is
up, remove the foil from the cups so the middle section has a chance to crisp up.

Keep a beady eye on the oven
Because phyllo pastry is thin and contains very little moisture, it cooks quickly. This also
means that it burns quickly, so remember to keep an eye on it while it works its magic in the
oven.

Save time and pre-cook the phyllo cups
Preparing a festive meal can take much longer than you think. Fortunately, your phyllo cups
are here to help because they can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight
container. This will save you at least a little bit of time to focus on all those last minute
things that absolutely have to be done on the day.

Play with toppings and fillings
Once you’ve made the phyllo cups, the sky’s the limit when it comes to fillings and toppings!
Feel like something sweet? Go for options like jam, whipped cream, chocolate and berries.
Fancy something savoury? Try out melted cheese with crispy bacon or blue cheese and
green figs. Have fun and don’t be scared to experiment with unusual combinations. Cooking
is all about creativity, so above all, play!

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