Easter dinner isn’t generally the sort of meal we try to rush. The whole point is to savor the meal, not sprint through it the way we do most weeknights.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the easy, time-saving trick here and there. In this case, I’ve applied the same technique to both the appetizer and the dessert. It’s an approach that frees me up to focus on the rest of the meal — the all-important glazed ham, the roasted vegetables, perhaps a cocktail (or three).
The trick begins with purchased frozen phyllo pastry cups (also called “fillo shells”). You’ll find them in the grocer’s freezer section alongside the puff pastry (and often near the frozen fruit). These tiny cups (each holds about 1 tablespoon or so of fillings and they usually come 15 to a box) come fully cooked and thaw in minutes. All you need to do is fill them and eat them (though you may need to bake them depending on your filling).
I went with a ridiculously easy and delicious no-cook option — creamy lemon-berry tartlets.
Creamy Lemon-Berry Tartlets
Start to finish: 15 minutes; Makes 15 tartlets
Assuming these tartlets won’t be consumed immediately, you don’t even need to let them thaw before filling them. Just proceed with the recipe and by the time they are eaten they will be perfect. You’ll usually find jarred lemon curd in with the jams and jellies.
