Phyllo pastry is a speciality of the Mediterranean region. As very thin unleavened dough, it is ideal for making a variety of different foods. This includes sweet tasting food like the syrupy Baklava, savoury dishes such as pies, tarts, spring rolls, Greek dishes like spanakopita, bourekas, and tiropita (cheese pie). Crispy and golden brown when cooked, phyllo pastry can also be used to make edible serving cups for appetisers or desserts such as chocolate mouse or ice cream.
Defrosting Phyllo Pastry
- Start the defrosting process 24 hours before you want to work with the phyllo.
- Keeping it in its original packaging, take the phyllo from the freezer and place it in the fridge. (Note: do not defrost at room temperature, as defrosting it too quickly will result in too much moisture, causing the sheets to become soggy).
- Only separate the sheets from one another once completely defrosted.
Working with Phyllo Pastry
- You will need to work quickly once you take the pastry out of its packaging. A good idea is to prepare your ingredients and workstation beforehand so that everything is ready.
- Open the packaging and unroll the sheets, immediately covering the dough with a clean, damp tea towel. This is needed to keep the dough moist. (Note: keep the dough covered at all times when you are not working with it.
- Layer the dough, one sheet at a time, painting on butter or even a cook spray on top of each sheet, using a soft-bristle brush to coat the sheet, before adding the next layer.
- For savoury dishes you can add breadcrumbs on top of the butter in between each layer and for sweet dishes you can add sugar or cinnamon between the layers.
Tip: Phyllo Pastry can be prepared in advance of creating the dish. Create your layers and bake at 180°C for 10 min or until your phyllo is golden brown.
Chocolate Mousse Phyllo Pastry Cups with Raspberry Cremeux
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 15 min
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients for Chocolate Mousse:
- 50 g water
- 20g glucose syrup or honey
- 40g Lindt Swiss Classic Dark Chocolate
- 40g Lindt Swiss Classic Milk Chocolate
- 80g cream
Directions for Chocolate Mousse:
- In a sauce pan, bring the water and syrup to the boil. Then add the chocolate pieces.
- Stir until well dissolved and a smooth, shiny ganache has formed.
- Whip the cream to form soft peaks and temper in 1/3 of the cream to your chocolate mixture.
- Then fold in the remainder of the cream, mix until smooth and of even colour.
- Pour into your dish and allow to set for 1 hour in the fridge.
Raspberry Cremeux
Ingredients for Raspberry Cremeux:
- 240g raspberry puree
- 100g eggs
- 5g corn-starch
- 40g sugar
- 30g Blancor Couverture 36%
Directions for the Raspberry Cremeux:
- Make a paste with the eggs, cornstarch and sugar.
- Bring the raspberry puree to a boil and temper in the egg mix – cook out the cornstarch (this takes about 2minutes).
- Lastly, add the chocolate and allow melting.
Final Assembling
Ingredients for Assembly:
- Chocolate Mousse
- Raspberry Cremeux
- MediDeli Phyllo Pastry
- Butter
- Castor Sugar
- Spray and Cook
Directions for final Assembly:
- Cut the Mediterranean Delicacies Phyllo sheet into desired sizes.
- Spray and cook the ramekins well.
- Butter the first sheet of Phyllo Pastry, placing another one on top of it.
- Continue the above process until all 5 sheets of Phyllo are buttered.
- Place the buttered Phyllo into the ramekin and sprinkle with castor sugar.
- Bake the Phyllo Pastry in a pre-heated over at 180°C for 8 minutes.
- Remove Phyllo basket from the ramekin and bake for a further 5 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool.
- Brush the inside of the Phyllo Pastry basket with melted chocolate.
- Pipe in the raspberry cremeux, followed by the chocolate mousse and decorate with chocolate shavings.
Bon Appétit!
