Muffin Tin Chef

a second sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have a stack of 3 layers. With the tip of a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, carefully cut the layered sheets into 3 segments from top to bottom and then slice from left to right at the midway point to make 6 total squares. Tuck the phyllo pastry squares into 6 medium muffin cups so that the bottoms are flat. Fill each phyllo cup with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the nut mixture. Gather up the 4 sides of each phyllo cup and seal together to form sachets. Brush the tops with some of the butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo pastry and nut mixture.

Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 18 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding. Serve with additional honey drizzled on top.

STRAWBERRY YOGURT TARTS

Greek yogurt is perfect for healthy tarts because the liquid whey is already strained away, allowing it to set easily during baking. If you don’t use Greek yogurt, you’ll need to strain the yogurt through cheesecloth for at least two hours to thicken it. If needed, select oats such as Bob’s Red Mill brand that are labeled “gluten-free.” Serves 12 V,G

Crust:

11/4 cups quick-cook rolled oats (not instant)

3/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional)

2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Filling:

1 cup plain low-fat or whole milk

Greek yogurt

1 cup diced strawberries

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest sliced strawberries, for garnish

For the Crust: To make the crust, place the oats, walnuts, and hemp seeds, if using, in a food processor and pulse into small bits. Add the honey, egg, and butter. Process until the mixture clumps together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the oat dough into 12 equal balls and place each in a medium muffin cup. Press the crusts down and up the sides of the muffin cups nearly all the way to the tops.

For the Filling: Stir together the yogurt, strawberries, honey, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a large bowl. Divide the yogurt mixture evenly among the crust cups. Bake until the edges of the crust begin to darken and yogurt has set, about 15 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding. The easiest way to unmold the tarts is to slide a butter knife between the crust and the tin and pop them out. Garnish with sliced strawberries, if desired.

ORANGE PANNA COTTA WITH JAVA-FIG COMPOTE

This elegant Italian dessert is usually made in ramekins with generous amounts of sugar and cream (the loose translation of panna cotta” is “cooked cream”). Muffin tins are a great stand-in for ramekins and the combination of milk and creamy Greek yogurt helps sack some of the fat calories. Serves 10 V, G

Panna Cotta:

1 (1-tablespoon) packet gelatin

1/2 cup orange juice (from about 1 medium orange)

11/3 cups low-fat milk or unflavored hemp milk

3 tablespoons light-colored natural cane sugar

2/3 cup plain low-fat or whole milk Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Compote:

11/4 cups strongly brewed coffee

20 dried Mission figs, stems trimmed and quartered (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup honey

1 whole star anise

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

For the Panna Cotta: In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the orange juice and let sit for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a slight simmer. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Whisk in the gelatin-orange juice, yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Divide the mixture evenly among 10 medium muffin cups. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. To unmold, run a butter knife around edges and invert the pan onto a plate.

For the Compote: In a medium saucepan, combine the coffee, figs, honey, star anise, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the figs and star anise from the pan. Simmer the liquid, uncovered, over medium-high heat until reduced and syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the figs to the pan; discard the star anise. Let cool before serving over the panna cottas.

ORANGE PANNA COTTA WITH JAVA-FIG COMPOTE, page 136

POMEGRANATE FRUIT SALAD, page 138

POMEGRANATE FRUIT SALAD

For a treat better than Jell-O, use your muffin cups to mold fruits and juices with gelatin for a lower-calorie, fresh-tasting dessert. I recommend using a silicone muffin tray, as you’ll appreciate its flexibility when it comes to unmolding. Agar agar, a gelatinous substance derived from algae, is a vegan substitute for gelatin. Use 1 teaspoon agar agar for 2 cups liquid. It will set at room temperature. Serves 6 G

11/2 cups pomegranate juice, divided

1 1/2 packets (1 1/2 tablespoons) gelatin

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup green or red grapes, sliced in half

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

Place 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate juice in a large heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Place another 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the hot pomegranate juice along with the remaining 3/4 cups pomegranate juice and the water to the gelatin mixture. Whisk constantly until the gelatin has fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Divide the grapes, blueberries, and raspberries among 10 medium silicone muffin cups and pour the pomegranate mixture over the top. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

To unmold the set gelatin, use a butter knife to loosen the edges, then dip the bottom of the muffin pan in warm water for about 10 seconds to loosen and carefully invert the muffin pan onto a tray. You may