Phyllo Nests Recipes

PHYLLO NESTS

Steps:

• Cut your scraps into some semblance of strips. Gently toss your strips with melted butter. For each nest you will need about 1/2 cup phyllo strips and 2 teaspoons melted butter (don't worry about being super-exact). Fit this mix into greased muffin cups, molding it up the sides as best you can. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Fill with fruit. Or pudding.

PASTRY PHYLLO NESTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough out flat. Pick it up from the center as if it were a handkerchief. Continue with remaining 3 sheets. Set it down on a baking pan and twist and flatten the center down to create a free form "nest" of phyllo. Brush with butter and bake for 20 minutes or until crackling crisp and golden. Serve one per person and top with fruit, whipped cream or ice cream or drizzle with honey and scatter with chopped pistachios, almonds or walnuts.

PHYLLO NESTS WITH STRAWBERRIES AND HONEY

Steps:

• Without unrolling phyllo log, cut 2 (3/8-inch-thick) slices crosswise from one end of log and thaw slices 5 minutes. (Save remaining frozen phyllo for another use.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly brush a baking sheet with some of melted butter.
• Carefully unfurl slices from phyllo rolls on a work surface, discarding any plastic or paper rolled within. Gently separate strands, keeping them parallel, then gather into 4 groups, about 14 strands each. Cover 3 groups with plastic wrap. Gently hold one end of remaining (uncovered) group of strands and brush with some of melted butter, then dust with 1/2 teaspoon confectioners sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Flip over and brush other side with butter and dust with confectioners sugar in same manner. Loosely coil up coated strands to form a small nest and put on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining clusters to form 3 more nests.
• Bake nests in middle of oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nests on sheet on a rack, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Beat cream with granulated sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Drizzle each phyllo nest all over with 1/4 teaspoon honey and put 1 tablespoon whipped cream in center. Top with strawberries and remaining cream, then drizzle each dessert with 1/4 teaspoon more honey.