Raspberries and Chocolate in Phyllo Purses
Chef on Call
- Course: Dessert
Summary:
This showstopper dessert takes some work, but it's worth it. Serve with good-quality vanilla ice cream.
To work with the phyllo, you'll need a pastry brush, a sharp knife and a fine-mesh strainer or shaker for the confectioners' sugar. Or for an almost-as-good alternative, eliminate the phyllo and serve the shortbread layered with ganache and raspberries and garnished with vanilla ice cream.
The ganache used here can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), preferably between 60 and 75 percent cacao, finely chopped
- 12 all-butter round shortbread cookies, such as Walker's (at least 2 inches in diameter)
- 72 fresh raspberries
- 12 sheets (from 1 or 2 packages) phyllo dough, defrosted
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions:
Heat the cream in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges.
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream slowly over the chocolate; let it sit for 30 seconds, then whisk the mixture until it is smooth and well combined, to form a ganache. Let it cool for 30 minutes or until it has the consistency of toothpaste.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil; arrange the 12 cookies on the sheet. Drop a large rounded spoonful of ganache onto each one, being careful not to spill over the edges of the cookies. Place 6 raspberries on each ganache-topped cookie, pressing gently to anchor them. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Prepare the phyllo squares: Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. As you work with each individual sheet, keep the remaining phyllo sheets from drying out by covering them with a clean, very slightly damp kitchen cloth.
Use a pastry brush to spread about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the entire surface of the phyllo sheet. (Start by buttering the outside edges, then work your way inside.) Place the confectioners' sugar in a fine-mesh strainer or shaker; liberally sprinkle the buttered phyllo sheet with it. Cover with a second sheet of phyllo and repeat with the melted butter and confectioners' sugar. Repeat with a third sheet of phyllo.
Use a sharp knife to cut the phyllo sheets in half from top to bottom and then from left to right. Place one raspberry-ganache shortbread in the center of each section of phyllo. Bring up the sides of the phyllo and pinch them together gently, forming a small bag. Lightly brush the exposed surface with melted butter and place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 squares.
Repeat those steps two more times so that there are 12 bundles in all. Refrigerate them for at least 2 hours or place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees (or 375 degrees, if using convection). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the phyllo is lightly golden brown. Place 2 bundles and a scoop of ice cream on each plate. Garnish with raspberries and serve immediately.
Recipe Source:
From chef Susan Holt of CulinAerie.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Len Spoden for The Washington Post)
