Honey-Ricotta Napoleons with Espresso Dust
Phyllo Layers
5 sheets 12” by 17” phyllo dough
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons sugar
Ricotta Filling
2 cups (16 ounces) Ricotta, well-drained
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon dark-roasted espresso coffee beans, ground to a fine powder
or instant espresso powder
Chocolate-covered coffee beans, for garnish
For the Phyllo Layers, preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a baking sheet.
Place the 5 sheets of phyllo dough at the edge the work surface, covered with a damp dish towel. Pour the melted butter into a small dish. Place the sugar in another dish. Place a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper the size of phyllo sheets on the flat work surface. Spread out 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the plastic wrap, while keeping the unused phyllo sheets covered with a damp cup towel. Quickly brush the sheet with butter and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Place another sheet of phyllo atop. Repeat brushing with butter and sprinkling with sugar. Continue with remaining 3 sheets of phyllo, ending with butter and sugar sprinkled atop the top sheet of phyllo. Once all the sheets of phyllo are stacked, one on top of the other, cut through them using the tip a sharp knife to cut the sheet into 36 squares, approximately 2 inches by 2 ½ inches each. Using a metal spatula, transfer the phyllo squares onto the baking sheet, leaving about ½ inch between the squares.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and bake the phyllo squares for about 5 minutes until dark golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately loosen the phyllo squares from the baking sheet using a flat metal spatula. Leave the squares on the baking sheet, and set aside to cool on a cake rack.
For the Ricotta Filling, combine the Ricotta and the honey in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until very smooth. Set aside and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To construct the Napoleons, place one phyllo square on a dessert plate, top with a teaspoon of the Ricotta filling, and then sprinkle with a pinch of ground espresso. Repeat until there are 4 layers of dough, each topped with Ricotta filling and sprinkled with espresso dust.
To serve, garnish each Napoleon with the chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Serves as soon as possible. If holding for up to an hour, place the Napoleons on a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until serving time.
Note: This dessert should not be made more than an hour in advance because the phyllo dough can absorb the moisture from the Ricotta and get soggy.
Serves 6
