Phyllo Fruit Pastries

Makes: About 15 pastries

Time: 30 minutes

Like puff pastry, phyllo has endless uses; just change its filling and shape to make something new. These squares are open-faced for an elegant and simple pastry you can serve as breakfast, dessert, or an appetizer. For the filling, use any fruit you like—apples, pears, plums, cherries, berries, oranges, pineapple, and mango are all delicious—or try one of the richer or savory variations.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and wipe a bit of the melted butter in a thin layer over a baking sheet. Put a damp towel over the stack of phyllo dough so it doesn’t dry out while you work.

2. Put a sheet of phyllo on the prepared sheet and brush butter evenly over it, then top with another piece of phyllo and repeat until all the dough is buttered and stacked. Cut into 3-inch squares (or leave whole for a large galette) and top each with a layer of overlapping peach slices. Lightly sprinkle the sugar over the fruit, about 1 teaspoon per square.

3. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the fruit is lightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you substitute firmer fruit such as apples, it will take another 5 to 10 minutes to become tender; tent the pastry with foil if it starts to get too brown. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. A garnish of chopped fresh mint is fantastic but not necessary.

BRULÉED FRUIT PASTRIES A burned sugar topping lends these a little complexity: Hold off on sprinkling sugar over the fruit and bake until the phyllo is lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, turn on the broiler, and broil for about 2 minutes or until the sugar is nicely browned.

CHOCOLATE PHYLLO PASTRIES Omit the fruit and sugar. Bake the buttered phyllo until it’s golden; meanwhile, finely chop 6 ounces dark chocolate. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon chocolate over each pastry as soon as they’re out of the oven and still quite hot; after a minute, when the chocolate has melted, spread it over the phyllo in an even layer. If you like, finish with a pinch of coarse salt.

CARAMEL-COCONUT PHYLLO PASTRIES For a little extra richness, top the baked phyllo with finely chopped chocolate as in the preceding variation before adding the coconut: Brush the topmost layer of phyllo with Caramel Sauce rather than melted butter; omit the fruit and sugar. Bake as directed, then sprinkle with shredded unsweetened coconut. Serve as is or broil for a minute or two until the coconut is toasted.

CHEESE-AND-HERB PHYLLO PASTRIES Swap 2 cups crumbled feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese for the fruit and sugar and sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons over each square. Garnish the finished pastries with minced fresh rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley.