Coconut Cream Tarts

Mini Phyllo Cups with Coconut Cream, Raspberries, and Dark Chocolate

yield: 30 MINI DESSERTS

ingredients:

• 2 boxes Athens Mini Fillo Shells (30 shells total)
• 4 oz. good dark chocolate, divided
• 1-1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 c. instant dry vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
• 30 fresh raspberries

preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove shells from all packaging. Place empty shells on a baking sheet and bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely.

Gently melt 3 ounces of the dark chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave, taking care to not let it scorch. Let chocolate cool for a bit before spooning it into the bottoms of the phyllo shells, dividing evenly between the 30 shells. Let cool completely until chocolate is hardened. To speed up the hardening, the shells can be placed in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

With an electric mixer, whip cream, dry pudding mix, and powdered sugar until stiff and thick, about 2 minutes. Add coconut extract and mix just to combine. Place coconut cream mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe a dollop of the mixture onto the chocolate on the bottom of each phyllo shell. Gently press a raspberry into the top of each coconut cream dollop. Chop the remaining ounce of dark chocolate into very small pieces and press a few pieces into each of the coconut cream dollops, dividing the chocolate pieces evenly amongst the 30 phyllo shells.

These can be assembled up to three hours prior to serving, stored in the refrigerator.

(If you don't have pastry bags and tips, simply use a small spoon to fill the phyllo cups with the coconut cream. Or place coconut cream in a ziplock baggie, snip off a corner of the baggie, and pipe it into the phyllo shells.)

from a farmgirl's dabbles