Cafe Flora Fig-and-Cabrales-Stuffed Phyllo Cups

From the Cafe Flora Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pint fresh figs (8-10) ripe but not mushy or soft
• 2 tblsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• s&p
• 1 tblsp minced shallot
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1/2 cup crumbled Cabrales or other blue cheese
• 24 phyllo cups (see below)

1. Trim the stems from the figs and cut them into quarters.  Toss the fig quarters with balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Drain the figs, reserving the liquid, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet in one layer.  Bake at 350 for ten minutes (this dries them out).
3. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until soft for 2 minutes.  Add figs and reserved liquid, thyme, and s&p, to the pan.  Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.  Try not to break up fig quarters too much.
4. Mix the cooled figs with the blue cheese.  Place about 1 tblsp of mixture into each cup and serve at once.  (make sure filling is at room temp when filling the cups)

Phyllo Cups

3 sheets phyllo dough (or 4 sheets, if wet filling)
2 tblsp olive oil or melted butter

Brush one sheet of dough with oil.  Repeat with one or two more sheets, layering one on top of the other.

Cut the phyllo sheets into 24 equal squares (2.5 by 2.5 inches approx).  Using a mini muffin pan as a mold, scrunch each square into the cups, pressing the dough against the sides.  The top edges will be uneven.

Bake the cups for 4-6 minutes at 350F or until light golden brown.  Cool them in the muffin pan, and remove from pan to a baking sheet until you're ready to fill them.