I LOVE strawberries and I LOVE whipped cream. I also love butter and crispy pastry dough.
So this is basically the pinnacle of all desserts for me.
So this is basically the pinnacle of all desserts for me.
Seriously, these things are the absolute perfect summer dessert. You can use any fruit/filling combination you want.
If you're a whipped cream fanatic like me, just a scoop of whipped cream and some fruit is absolutely perfect! But
I also tried some out with fruit only and they were just as perfect.
If you're a whipped cream fanatic like me, just a scoop of whipped cream and some fruit is absolutely perfect! But
I also tried some out with fruit only and they were just as perfect.
The Ingredients
- 1 package frozen fillo dough (found in frozen dessert section of most grocery stores)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 box strawberries (or fruit of your choice)
- 1 container whipped cream (optional)
The Recipe
As you can see by the limited ingredients, this recipe isn't ridiculously complicated, however it can be time consuming. I spent roughly an hour preparing 24 pastry cups, or two cupcake pan's worth. I ended up using only one roll of the fillo dough from the package, but the dough is ridiculously easy to save and lasts a long time to be used for other recipes! You will have to thaw the dough before use, so either set it in the refrigerator or on the counter a couple hours before you plan on baking.
Okay, so first things first - preheat the oven to 350 degrees and find yourself two cupcake pans. Melt the stick of butter in a microwave (usually will take about a minute - I let it run for 30 seconds, pull it out and stir, then run for 30 more seconds). You will need a pastry brush, the smaller the better. Unroll the fillo dough on a cutting board, and slice it in half one way and in fourths the opposing way, making eight small squares. The dough will dry out quickly, so place a damp cloth over it during use. Brush the melted butter into the cups of your pan and begin layering the squares into the cup, buttering in between every couple of layers. USE A LOT OF BUTTER! It makes them yummy and helps them bake properly. Using a criss-cross pattern works best and will ensure the sides of your cup are even throughout. The dough is very delicate, so it may take a bit of work to get the layers perfectly in there. You should use roughly twenty layers per cup so they bake properly. Once you've finished buttering and layering, buttering and layering, buttering and layering, place the pans in the oven for 8-10 minutes. My first batch had thinner layers and 8 minutes got them perfectly crisp, but the second batch was thicker and took slightly longer to bake.
While the cups are baking, slice the strawberries into halves or quarters in a large bowl, and sprinkle with a few Tablespoons of sugar. Run a bit of cold water into the bowl and mix the strawberries to give them a perfect sugary glaze.
Okay, so first things first - preheat the oven to 350 degrees and find yourself two cupcake pans. Melt the stick of butter in a microwave (usually will take about a minute - I let it run for 30 seconds, pull it out and stir, then run for 30 more seconds). You will need a pastry brush, the smaller the better. Unroll the fillo dough on a cutting board, and slice it in half one way and in fourths the opposing way, making eight small squares. The dough will dry out quickly, so place a damp cloth over it during use. Brush the melted butter into the cups of your pan and begin layering the squares into the cup, buttering in between every couple of layers. USE A LOT OF BUTTER! It makes them yummy and helps them bake properly. Using a criss-cross pattern works best and will ensure the sides of your cup are even throughout. The dough is very delicate, so it may take a bit of work to get the layers perfectly in there. You should use roughly twenty layers per cup so they bake properly. Once you've finished buttering and layering, buttering and layering, buttering and layering, place the pans in the oven for 8-10 minutes. My first batch had thinner layers and 8 minutes got them perfectly crisp, but the second batch was thicker and took slightly longer to bake.
While the cups are baking, slice the strawberries into halves or quarters in a large bowl, and sprinkle with a few Tablespoons of sugar. Run a bit of cold water into the bowl and mix the strawberries to give them a perfect sugary glaze.
The Decoration
Once the cups are crispy and cooled, carefully remove them from the pan on a separate plate. You can now fill them with basically whatever you want! I dolloped a bit of whipped cream into some and then arranged a few strawberries on top, and with others I just filled with strawberries. I also think these could make really good taco-like shells, so you could try filling them with chicken and cheese and tomatoes and let me know how it goes!
Your delicious summer treat has been completed. Congratulations! Links to check me out on Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter are to the right and I would love it if you left any comments/questions below. Thanks for reading!