Frico Crisps and Mini Cups

Recipe by Sarah Phillips and Kelly Hong; Food styling and photos by Kelly Hong © 9-8-2014 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com

INGREDIENTS 
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; do not use pregrated cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

NOTES:
Grate the cheese to a medium shred. You should not use finely grated cheese. A microplane grater is perfect for the job!

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the recipe:
1. Position an oven shelf to the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. F

2. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat(recommended) or parchment paper.

3. Put the cheese in a small bowl.

4. Chop the basil very finely, then add it to the cheese, then add the black pepper.
Toss the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly mixed.

Make the Frico Crisps and Frico Mini Cups:
Bake only 6 crisps at a time, for ease of handling, especially if you are making the frico mini cups.
1. Put about 1 tablespoon of the mixture in an even mound on the prepared baking sheet.
It is easier to get more evenly sized crisps, if you use a 2.5 - 2.75-inch round cookie cutter as a mold.

6. Bake the frico for 5-7 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown.
NOTE: If you are making frico crisps, you can bake them longer, but if you are making the mini cups, take them out when they just start to turn golden, so they will be pliable, when you mold them in the mini muffin tin.

7. If making crisps, let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then remove them with a thin spatula and let them cool completely on a rack.
You can top the crisps with anything you like, here we used chopped garden tomatoes, with a little red onion, parsley and olive oil.

8. If making mini cups, carefully remove them, one at a time, with a thin metal spatula, and place the frico over one of the openings on a mini muffin tin.
Using a small fondant roller, or similar small rolling pin, gently press the frico down into the depression, forming a cup.

Fill the frico cups - suggestions:
1. You can fill the cups with anything you like.
Here we used chopped romaine lettuce with a little Caesar salad dressing and a vine-ripened cherry tomato.
You can even use salad kits from the grocery store, to make things really quick and easy!
These make perfect little appetizer nibbles for parties.






2. Serve immediately.

STORAGE
Store the unfilled crisps and cups for up to 4 days, in an airtight lidded container.
Do not fill the cups until right before service, because the frico will begin to get soggy, if in contact with a damp filling.