Whether enjoyed as a guest of a bed & breakfast inn, at the breakfast table of a friend or from the comforts of your home, blueberries blend beautifully with breakfast! Served fresh atop crunchy granola cereal or a bowl of vanilla yogurt, mixed in pancakes and muffins or presented as a compote with oatmeal, blueberries are a burst of color and flavor capable of brightening any morning when you keep some on hand. Best stored in a moisture-proof container, blueberries can last from 5 days to 2 weeks if kept dry (preferably in a single layer) and properly chilled in the refrigerator (33-34 degrees F.) Do not wash until you’re ready to use.
The following video by Trivue Entertainment is just over 4 minutes in length and provides a great introduction to blueberries as a super food, focusing on the natural antioxidant and anti-aging properties of this powerhouse fruit. Afterwards, you’ll find an easy and delicious recipe for a blueberry and mascarpone cream filling that can be prepared in a snap and served in premade, mini phyllo (fillo) shells, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. Not only does it make a terrific breakfast treat, but it can also be enjoyed anytime throughout the day when you, or your guests, crave blueberries!
Mini Blueberry Tarts with Mascarpone Cream Filling
(recipe courtesy Inn Cuisine, as adapted from the July edition of Gourmet, circa 1998)
The following will produce enough filling for approximately 2 dozen (24) mini phyllo (fillo) shells
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1 cup mascarpone cheese (about 8 ounces)
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1/3 cup well-chilled heavy whipping cream
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1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
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1/4 cup blueberry preserves
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about 24 blueberries, washed and dried
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2 boxes frozen mini phyllo (fillo) shells (15 mini shells per box – you’ll use approximately 24)
To Make the Filling
In a medium-size bowl, simply add the mascarpone cheese, well-chilled heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar, and whip using an electric mixer until firm peaks form and the mixture holds its shape. Take care not to overwhip.
Preparing the Shells
Using thawed, mini phyllo (fillo) shells, spoon just enough blueberry preserves (about 1/2 teaspoon) into each shell to cover the bottom. Next, spoon (or pipe in) mascarpone cheese filling (about 2 teaspoons) over the preserves until each shell is filled.
Top with a fresh blueberry and serve immediately. This recipe produces approximately 2 dozen filled, mini phyllo shells.
Enjoy!
Interested in additional recipes to fill any extra, mini phyllo shells you have on hand? Then head over to The Perfect Pantry for great tips and inspiration.
The Perfect Pantry, created and maintained by fellow food writer Lydia Walshin, is an informative blog dedicated to the wonderful items found in pantries across America, and the world! As a regular reader, I’ve learned more about the products in my pantry than I ever thought possible, as Lydia never ceases to amaze and entertain her audience with her knowledge, resources and stories.
Before launching Inn Cuisine, I was fortunate enough to have Lydia offer to “adopt” my fledgling blog through the Adopt-a-Blogger program set up by Kristen of Dine and Dish. The Adopt-a-Blogger program works to match experienced food bloggers with those of us new to the blogging format, as a resource for advice and technical support while developing and maintaining a new blog (food blogging is not always as simple as it may appear and the learning curve can be great.)
For me, even as a professional writer, the experience has been wonderful. Lydia is perhaps the most helpful mentor a new blogger could hope for, always available to listen to an idea, provide insight, advice or a much needed word of encouragement. In a world where time is a valuable commodity for us all, Lydia has been more than generous in providing hers. If you’d like to see Lydia’s time and talent in action, I invite you to visit The Perfect Pantry. And if you’d like to see some of her recipes and ideas on filling any additional, mini phyllo shells you have on hand, here are a few direct links for you to peruse:
Feel free to leave a comment (tell her Sandie sent you!) and visit often. Before long, you’ll know more about the items in your pantry than you ever thought possible!
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
What a delicious sweet filling for the phyllo shells! It’s been such fun to watch Inn Cuisine come to life, and to play a small part in its creation. I think the Adopt-a-Blogger program is terrific and really brings out the generosity of spirit of the entire food blogging community.
Blueberries make everything better and this sounds like a delicious treat. I decided to try growing my own…I’ve got my fingers crossed for a plentiful crop this summer…or at least that it not die, lol.
As I mentioned to Lydia I have 2 boxes of these mini filo tarts in my freezer. I also have mascarpone cheese as well…how lucky is that. Guess what I am up to this weekend. I have enjoyed browsing through your site….I’ll definitely be back:D
What a perfect blogging match! Both yours and Lydia’s blogs are wonderful and we enjoy visiting both Inn Cuisine and The Perfect Pantry!
Love the blueberries too! But lately, they’ve been really pricey at our markets. Maybe we’ll wait to splurge on this one.