Hoisin Mushroom Phyllo Cups Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Do you thaw phyllo cups before baking? ›

Phyllo must be completely thawed and at room temperature for best results.

Light, flaky layers of dough are formed into mini pastry cups, then fully baked and frozen fresh.

Phyllo cups can become soggy if you fill them with wet ingredients too far in advance, so be sure to fill them just before baking. How do you keep phyllo cups crisp? Store phyllo cups in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crispness.

The cups are made from very thin sheets of dough that are layered together to create the thicker yet still light and airy shells! Phyllo dough and cups are traditionally used in Greek dishes and are delicate once cooked. You can typically buy phyllo cups precooked at the store, but it is easy to make them yourself too.

Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.

In order to get golden, individual layers, you need to brush each layer of phyllo with butter or oil. Use a pastry brush, and remember that each sheet will soak up around 1 Tbsp. of fat, so plan accordingly.

The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily.

– Wrap any leftover phyllo tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a cooler for up to 1 week. – For longer storage, refreeze phyllo. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then with foil and store in freezer up to 2 months.

Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable. Only then is your dough properly defrosted.

There are two key elements to promoting the extensibility necessary in the dough: adding vinegar to the dough, which weakens some of the gluten bonding, making it less elastic; and ample resting. Of course, it takes practice, just like working with any kind of dough.

Should you egg wash phyllo? ›

But if you slather it with butter or oil, obviously the calorie and fat counts can soar. Brushing it with egg white, instead, is a simple way to make the dough flaky without using the added fat. If you have never worked with phyllo before, don't be intimidated.

POUR HOT SYRUP OVER COLD BAKLAVA OR VICE VERSA.

Make sure that you either pour hot syrup over cold baklava, or cold syrup over hot baklava. This ensures that the baklava will absorb the syrup. If you pour hot syrup on hot baklava it will become soggy.

Find us in the freezer section (dough, appetizers, or snacks). Athens Foods products, including Athens^® Phyllo Dough and Athens^® Phyllo Shells, are available nationally.

If you're unable to find them, you can substitute phyllo dough, puff pastry, spring roll wrappers, or crescent roll dough. Cream cheese – Cream cheese is the main ingredient in the filling and combines perfectly with the crumbled feta for a deliciously creamy taste and texture.

Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.

Pull the frozen package of dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it. Put it in the refrigerator overnight—phyllo dough takes about 8 hours to thaw. After that, leave it out on your countertop at room temperature for another hour until the sheets are completely pliable.

Puff pastry needs to be thawed before you can work with it. Remove the number of sheets you need from the packet while still frozen, a long knife or pallet knife can be helpful here. Tightly repackage leftover pastry to avoid freezer burn and return to the freezer.

Puff Pastry FAQ

You don't have to thaw them before baking, but you might have to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.