Phyllo Pecan Crisps Food

PHYLLO CRISPS

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a second baking sheet ready.
• Combine the orange zest with the sugar in a small bowl, using your fingertips to rub the orange zest into the sugar to release its essential oils. Add the cinnamon and cardamom and mix to combine.
• Place 2 sheets phyllo on the parchment-lined baking sheet. (When working with phyllo, always keep a clean, moist kitchen towel over the stack of dough that you're not handling. Phyllo is very thin and will dry out quickly, becoming brittle and impossible to work with.) Using a pastry brush, gently apply a thin layer of melted butter to the top sheet of phyllo and sprinkle liberally with some spiced sugar. Place another 2 sheets phyllo dough on top of the first layer and press lightly. Brush with a little more melted butter and sprinkle with more spiced sugar. Then top with 2 sheets phyllo and, once again, lightly brush with butter and sprinkle with spiced sugar. You may have some leftover spiced sugar.
• Completely cover the layered phyllo with damp paper towels or plastic wrap to prevent the fragile phyllo dough from drying out and cracking and refrigerate until the butter returns to a solid state, at least 10 minutes. (Don't worry, the sugar didn't stick to the damp paper towels, even though we thought it might.)
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
• When the butter is solid, remove and discard the paper towels or plastic wrap. Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut the layers into approximately 2-inch (5-centimeter) squares. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and the second baking sheet to weight the phyllo for baking- this ensures that they puff just enough to be flaky while still maintaining a crisp, linear look.
• Bake the phyllo crisps for 10 minutes. The crisps should be lightly browned, especially along the edges. Remove the top baking sheet and rotate the bottom baking sheet 180°, then bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the crisps become evenly golden, crisp, and flaky.
• While the crisps are baking, place the honey in the microwave for 20 seconds or in a small saucepan over low heat for 1 minute. You want the honey to be warm and runny and spreadable.
• Immediately after removing the phyllo crisps from the oven, brush them with the warm honey and sprinkle with a pinch granulated sugar (or, if desired, any leftover spiced sugar). Let cool at room temperature. The crisps are best served fresh that day but can be covered with parchment paper and kept overnight at room temperature.

PHYLLO PECAN CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a food processor grind pecans with sugar until finely chopped. In a piece of parchment paper on a work surface arrange 1 phyllo sheet and brush with some butter. Sprinkle phyllo sheet evenly with half of pecan sugar and top with a second phyllo sheet, some butter, remaining pecan sugar, and remaining phyllo sheet, pressing down gently with your fingers and brushing with some butter. Slide a baking sheet under parchment and chill phyllo 10 minutes.
• Transfer phyllo with parchment to a cutting board and with sharp knife cut stack lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips, cutting through parchment and discarding excess. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half and transfer triangles on parchment to baking sheet, separating triangles slightly. Cover triangles directly with another parchment sheet and bake in lower third of oven 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool crisps on baking sheet on a rack. Crisps keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

PEAR AND APPLE PHYLLO CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in top position. Combine pecans, breadcrumbs, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment, and top with 1 phyllo sheet. Brush phyllo all over with butter, and sprinkle pecan mixture evenly over top. Repeat 4 times. Top with remaining phyllo sheet, and brush with all but 2 tablespoons butter.
• Slice pears and apples 1/8 inch thick; discard seeds. Arrange pear and apple slices in a single layer on phyllo, leaving space between fruit and a 1/4-inch border around edges. Brush fruit with reserved 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with sugar, and dust with cinnamon. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until phyllo is golden brown and fruit is soft, 28 to 32 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut into 8 pieces.

MOCHA MOUSSE WITH KUMQUAT CRANBERRY SAUCE AND PHYLLO PECAN CRISPS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan simmer sugar, water, and kumquats until reduced to about 2/3 cup and stir in Grand Marnier. Cool sauce to room temperature and stir in cranberries. Sauce may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
• Have ready an instant-read thermometer in a cup of very hot water. In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup water, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and yolks until smooth. In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water melt bittersweet chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir cocoa mixture into chocolate mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove bowl from pan and check temperature, tilting bowl to cover thermometer tip by a least 2 inches. If temperature is less than 160°F., rinse thermometer and return to cup. Check temperature every 30 seconds until thermometer registers 160°F. Remove bowl from pan, reserving simmering water over heat, and cool chocolate mixture to room temperature.
• Clean thermometer and put in a clean cup of very hot water. In another metal bowl stir together whites, cream of tartar, and sugar with a rubber spatula and put bowl over pan of reserved simmering water. Cook mixture, stirring constantly with rubber spatula (to keep mixture as froth-free as possible), checking temperature in same manner, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thermometer registers 160°F. and remove from heat. Beat mixture with am electric mixer until cool and meringue holds stiff peaks.
• Gently fold chocolate mixture into meringue until combined well and chill 15 minutes, or until just firm enough to hold its shape when piped. Spoon mousse into a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch star tip and pipe about 1/2 cup mousse onto each of 2 dessert plates in a mound 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high. Mousse may be piped onto plates 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely with plastic wrap.
• In a bowl with a whisk or cleaned beaters beat together espresso cream ingredients until cream just holds stiff peaks. Espresso cream may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
• Dollop half of espresso cream on top of each serving of mousse and lean 2 or 3 crisps against mousse. Spoon sauce around desserts.

PISTACHIO PHYLLO CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely grind pistachios in an electric coffee/spice grinder, then stir in sugar.
• Cut phyllo sheet crosswise into 3 equal pieces, then stack pieces between wax paper and cover stack With a lightly dampened kitchen towel. Arrange 1 piece of phyllo on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and brush with some butter. Sprinkle with half of pistachio sugar and top with another piece of phyllo. Brush phyllo with some butter and sprinkle with remaining pistachio sugar. Top with remaining piece of phyllo, pressing down gently, and brush with some butter. Chill stack 10 minutes.
• Using rim of a ramekin as a guide, cut out 2 (4-inch) rounds with a sharp paring knife and discard scraps. Cover rounds with a piece of parchment and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool crisps on baking sheet on a rack.