Sweet mocha ricotta cream phyllo shells
In my house, we're not big on dessert. Cold grapes, frozen blueberries, the occasional ice cream (yes, from the supermarket, or from the very good pizza and ice cream place across the street), a few cookies: that's the extent of our after-dinner sweet treats. Still, on occasion, we want something more, a perfect bite to close out a more formal dinner. As I'm not well versed in the ways of dessert, frozen mini phyllo cups often save the day. On their own, they look fancy -- the little black dress in my freezer -- and you can snazz them up with just about any sweet filling, from berries to custard to gelato. My grandsons and I loved this creamy cheese, yogurt and chocolate filling, which came together with nothing more than a bowl and a whisk. They added their own styling with bits of chopped chocolate on top. I had just a minute or two to snap some photos for you, before the "taste testing" began in earnest. There were no leftovers. Note: you'll want to use whole milk ricotta and low-fat or full-fat Greek yogurt here. The recipe doesn't call for very much of each, and you need the fat to get great "mouth feel".
Sweet mocha ricotta cream phyllo shells
From the pantry, you'll need: plain low-fat Greek yogurt, agave nectar, cocoa powder, phyllo shells, dark chocolate.
Makes 15 shells; serves 6.
Ingredients
4 Tbsp ricotta cheese (do not use low-fat or non-fat)
2 Tbsp plain low-fat (or full-fat) Greek yogurt
1-1/2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp coffee extract
1 tsp half-and-half
Box of 15 mini phyllo shells, defrosted
Chopped dark chocolate, for garnish
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, yogurt, agave, cocoa powder, coffee extract and half-and-half.
Set out the phyllo shells on a serving dish. Use a spoon or a piping bag to fill the shells with the cheese mixture.
Garnish with chopped chocolate, and serve cold.
More filled phyllo shells, sweet and savory:
Teeny tiny lime tarts, from The Perfect Pantry
Spinach and feta phyllo cups, from The Perfect Pantry
Brie and raspberry phyllo cups, from Gimme Some Oven
Smoked salmon and avocado mousse phyllo cups, from Foxes Love Lemons
Mini lemon meringue pie fillo tartlets, from Cookin' Canuck
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I don't make tiny desserts nearly enough. I must start. This looks like a perfect recipe to start with.
Donna, my grandsons helped me make these (credit to them for the artful sprinkling of chocolate!), and I had to photograph quickly because every one of these little tarts disappeared.
They look delicious and really not all that indulgent for a sweet treat!
Kalyn, they are just one bite, and have very little sweetness, especially if you use dark chocolate on top. Most of the time, that's all the dessert I need.
This is right up my alley - I never buy the phyllo shells but maybe it's time! Hope you are doing well. :)
Janice, these little phyllo shells are always in my freezer. They're one of the few convenience foods I like to have on hand, and you can fill them with almost anything.
I made this with what was here - low fat ricotta, low fat Greek yogurt. There was plenty of mouth feel, and I wouldn't want more. It tasted much richer than it was! For coffee extract, I had RI coffee syrup. A keeper!
Susan, so glad you tried it. This is really an easy dessert!