Ingredients
8 (17 by 13-inch) frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
3/4 pkg (6-oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (6-oz) cooked sweet potato, peeled, cooled and cubed
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter add 1/4 cup of maple syrup; stir until syrup is well combined. Start with one phyllo sheet laying on a clean work surface; brush with the melted butter/maple syrup mixture; add another phyllo sheet to the first buttered one. Repeat the process by buttering and adding 2 more phyllo pastry; cut the stack of phyllo dough into 6 squares (it should be 5 inches across). Use an ungreased standard 12 cup muffin pan. Lay into each muffin cup 1 square of stacked phyllo dough; the edges will fall over the top. Make another stacked sheet of 4 phyllo dough sheets layered with butter/maple syrup mixture; cut into squares and finish filling the muffin cups with phyllo dough. Combine the softened cream cheese, cooked/cooled sweet potato and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl beating for at least 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese/sweet potato spread into each prepared phyllo dough shell (if preferred use a pastry bag). Gently sprinkle a generous amount of pecans on top. Bake the phyllo tarts to the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the phyllo dough is golden brown. Can be served warm or cold.
