Phyllo or filo dough is a very versatile ingredient. At home, I always keep a pack in the chiller as it can be used to make a quick and easy dish in minutes. Once, I even baked leftover adobo and longganisa in phyllo cups for a satisfying midnight snack! In the recipe I’m sharing with you this month, I used phyllo dough to make a last-minute dessert with sliced pears and dried figs. A few pointers in using phyllo dough: Always make sure to cover the unused dough with a damp towel while you’re working with it so it doesn’t dry up. Also, use only unsalted butter as manufacturers usually add a lot of salt to the dough to act as a preservative. Try this recipe for holiday gettogethers and experiment with your own combinations for the filling. If you combine sliced apples, earthy spices, some sugar, and dried fruit, you can easily make apple strudel. You can also try making gourmet turon with bananas and jackfruit rolled in phyllo dough. Have fun experimenting! BY JUN JUN DE GUZMAN
Serves 8 Prep Time 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
INGREDIENT
8 sheets phyllo dough, cut and divided into 6 squares per sheet
1/2 to 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
8 dried figs, finely cubed
a pinch each of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
6 to 7 pears, peeled and sliced into 10 to 12 pieces per pear
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided
whipped cream, to serve (optional)
HOW TO COOK
1. Place a phyllo square into each hole of a 6-cup muffin pan. Brush melted butter on top. Repeat process with remaining phyllo squares until you have 6 sheets of dough layered on top of each other, with butter brushed in between. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven. Set aside to cool.
2. While dough is being partially baked, make the filling: Mix together brown sugar, white sugar, flour, dried figs, and spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss sliced pears in lemon juice and mix in 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Add pears to brown sugar mixture and mix well.
3. Fill each phyllo cup with the pear and fig mixture. Sprinkle remaining lemon zest on top of the phyllo cups. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
