mushroom wellington cups

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 1/4 pounds small cremini mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

5 sheets (12 by 16 1/2 inches) frozen phyllo dough, thawed

2 ounces store-bought pate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until they throw off their water and continue cooking until they turn golden brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for about six minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Add the wine. Stir and scrape the browned bits off from the bottom of the pan until the wine evaporates, about three minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine, cook one minute. Add the cream. Cook until slightly thickened, about one minute. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or cookie sheet (keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel). Lightly brush sheet with melted butter. Top with 1 sheet; brush with butter. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets, top with last sheet unbuttered.

Cut phyllo stack into six 5 1/2-by-6-inch pieces. Nestle each into a cup of a standard muffin tin. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons mushroom mixture into each phyllo cup. Bake until golden, 14 to 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top each cup with a heaping teaspoon of pate of pate before serving.

Note: cups can be filled with the mushroom mixture then frozen (before cooking) for up to one month, wrapped and sealed. To bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap mushroom cups and place in muffin tins bake until golden for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with a teaspoon of pate.

Makes 6