Sweet Cheese Phyllo Purses
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 12 sweet cheese phyllo purses
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 213
- Total Fat
- 14
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Carbohydrates
- 16
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 9
- Protein
- 6
- Cholesterol
- 37
- Sodium
- 122
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
1 3.5-ounce log plain goat cheese
1 1/4 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
15 cardamom pods, crushed using the flat side of a knife (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom)
1 wide strip orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler), plus 2 tablespoons juice
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Finely crumble the goat cheese with a fork in a medium bowl, then stir in the ricotta. Brush a 12-cup muffin pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter; set aside 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl for step 3.
- Use the remaining 6 tablespoons butter for the phyllo sheets: Brush the top of a phyllo sheet all over with butter, then stack 3 more sheets on top, brushing each with butter. Cut the stack in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds to make 6 squares. Press each square into a muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets and melted butter.
- Divide the cheese mixture among the phyllo-lined muffin cups, pressing with a spoon to flatten the filling into the cups. Fold in the phyllo to cover the filling, leaving a little hole in the center to vent steam. Brush the tops of the dough with the reserved 1 tablespoon melted butter. Put the pan on the oven floor and bake until the phyllo purses are dark golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F; move the muffin pan to the middle oven rack and continue baking until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water, cardamom and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, occasionally pressing on the cardamom pods with a spoon, until syrupy, about 8 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. Stir in the orange juice.
- Remove the phyllo purses to a platter as soon as they come out of the oven. Spoon about half of the syrup on top. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in the syrup, then top with the pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup and serve warm.