Coppetta Di Formaggio Infornato - Edible Cheese Cups
Why I Love This Recipe
I got this idea from Giada’s show Every Day Italian. She used these to serve individual salads. Personally, I like to place them on a plate and fill them with Lemon or Porcini Risotto or fill with Baby Greens tossed with Warm Pancetta, Goat Cheese and dried unsweetened cranberries (Not Crazins).
I also prefer to use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano. When I serve these it always reminds me of the Candy Man song from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (The original). While technically it's talking about being able to eat dishes made of Sugar or Chocolate and can think of NO finer substitute than Cheese.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 1/2 cups shredded Pecorino-Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago d’Allevo or Grana Padano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place 6 (1/4-cup) mounds of Parmesan cheese on the sheet and gently tap down until each mound is flat and 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Work quickly, using a thin spatula to transfer the Parmesan disk to a muffin tin. Gently place a small drinking glass on top of the Parmesan disk to mold it into the shape of the muffin cup.
Alternately, and this works better for me, you can place the disk over an upturned drinking glass and let gravity help pull the sides down, you will have to assist a little, please do not burn yourself like I did the first time, as the cheese is extremely hot and will stick to your skin.
Continue with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Let cool until firm, about 5 minutes before unmolding.