Pumpkin-Nutella Phyllo Cups

If there is one thing on this planet that I love more than pumpkin, it has to be Nutella.  I’m pretty sure there is no dessert on the planet that Nutella won’t make 1,000 times better.  Yesterday was a pretty crazy day.  Good, but busy.  We started off doing a 4.5 mile hike with Dakota, which was awesome because it was such a perfect day.  I was also introduced to the world of white hot chocolate.  Now, white chocolate is typically not my cup of tea, but this was one of the best hot drinks I’ve ever had.  Maybe it had something to do with the gigantic, fluffy, homemade pumpkin marshmallow that was slowly melting as I drank it.  Pumpkin marshmallow!  What?!  Joy.  Anyway, I ate a healthy lunch to make up for it 😉 

So, I have had a little something plotting in my head for the past few days, and later in the evening seemed like the perfect time to give it a go.  After all, weeknights are not the time for trial and error kind of recipes.  Luckily, this one was a homerun first time out (that happens about 0.00001% of the time).  This coudn’t be easier, and is the perfect recipe if you have leftover phyllo dough from your spinach, feta, sun-dried tomato phyllo rolls.  You also know how I love recipes that make you look like you are a way better cook than you actually are.  Fancy shmancy.

Pumpkin-Nutella Phyllo Cups

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

phyllo dough, cut into 10 – 4 inch squares 

1/3 cup nutella, microwaved for about 15 seconds to soften it a bit

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp molasses

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp margarine (or earth balance), melted

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray large custard cup and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix pumpkin puree, molasses, cinnamon, and ground ginger until well blended.  Place 2 of your phyllo squares at the bottom of your custard cup.  Take 1 1/2 tsp of your pumpkin mixture and spred it across the dough.  Place 2 more pieces of the phyllo dough over your pumpkin mixture and add 1 1/2 tsp of nutella.  Repeat layers again, ending with 2 pieces of phyllo dough on top.  Brush the top with the melted earth balance.  Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes. 

Do you see the smiley face?  Ok, that’s a stretch..

 

This came out so good, I can’t wait to make it again!  Steve and I just split this one because it was only an experiment after all, but this will be made again later tonight when I sneak in my kitchen while Steve is sleeping very soon.  Oh yeah, one more thing.  It’s kind of important.  Make sure you let your phyllo defrost competely before using it.  I was very impatient and tried warming it with my hands.  I know, I know.  It’s embarrassing to even type, but I promised to share the good, bad, the ugly, and apparently the stupid 😉

I can’t be the only one out there to do something stupid in the kitchen.  Any of you brave enough to share?