Coconut-Cream Cheese Custard in Phyllo Cups

These are neither the Portuguese Pasteis de Nata nor their cousins, Chinese egg custards. These are what I make because: 1. I am horrible at making flaky egg custard tart dough, 2. I always have leftover coconut milk in small amounts, 3. after having discovered the joy of the light, fluffy pumpkin mascarpone cake -- a recipe that requires 4 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese -- I've always found half an 8-ounce package of either one in the fridge. These tarts, in other words, are born out of incompetence and practicality.

By the way, if you -- like me -- are not known for dexterity, do everything you can to convince people that the rustic looks of these tarts are intentional. You could make perfectly symmetrical tarts any time you want, of course; you just don't feel like it. (Scoff.)

Coconut-Cream Cheese Custard Tarts in Phyllo Cups
(Makes 6 tartlets)
Printable Version

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 sheets of frozen phyllo dough, thawed
4 ounces butter, melted

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and sides of six muffin cups.
Working quickly before the phyllo sheets dry out, brush the melted butter on one side of each sheet.
• Drape each buttered phyllo sheet into the bottom of each muffin cup and press down to form a cup. Make sure the phyllo overhang does spread more than about 1/2 inch from the circumference of the muffin cup.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cream cheese together until the mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the coconut milk.
• Distribute the filling among the six phyllo cups. Bake for 15-20 or until the phyllo cups are browned and crispy and the filling is set.
• Let the filled phyllo cups cool down in the muffin pan for 10 minutes. With a spoon, gently remove the custard tarts from the muffin pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.