Prosciutto cups might look difficult to make, but you can easily make them at home using muffin tins.
If you’re in search for appetizers that will wow your guests, serve up some of these prosciutto appetizers with whipped goat cheese!
One of the best things about this recipe is that the cups use prosciutto instead of the usual puff pastry or phyllo dough.
This makes this recipe gluten-free. You can also cut down on the calories by using a low-fat goat cheese and light cream.
The word prosciutto, which translates to “ham” in Italian, is made only from the hind legs of pigs and is aged during a dry-curing process.
There are typically two types of prosciutto: prosciutto cotto, which is cooked, and prosciutto crudo, which is uncooked, yet cured.
The quality of prosciutto is based on the curing process, region and strict quality controls that go into the production.
Curing prosciutto originated in Italy thousands of years ago and is just one of the many factors that set Prosciutto di Parma apart from other prosciutti.
Made under strict quality controls only in Parma, Italy, the ham is produced only using specially bred pigs, sea salt, air and time.
How long can goat cheese sit out?
Goat cheese is a soft and unfermented kind of cheese, which means that you don’t have a lot of time to enjoy it from the moment you open its packaging.
Goat cheese can sit out for a maximum of four hours before it starts to go bad.
How do you soften goat cheese?
Softening cheese is important because it loosens up the fat molecules in the cheese, which means that you get more of the flavor and aroma of the cheese.
Before serving the goat cheese, you can remove it from the fridge and let it at room temperature for around 1-2 hours.
If you are in a hurry and the goat cheese is vacuum-packed, you can put the goat cheese in a bowl of slightly warm water for around 10 minutes.
What is whipped goat cheese?
You can make whipped goat cheese by using a fork or whisk to mash the goat cheese and make it smooth. Whipping goat cheese make it soft, airy, and fluffy, making it perfect for spreading on bread or for use recipes such as this one.
Here are some other articles that you may find useful when making this recipe.
- For a full tutorial check out our article on how to make whipped goat cheese.
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Recipe.
- How to make honey roasted figs.
Our CookingChew Cooking Tips:
- The thickness of the prosciutto matters. It needs to be thin enough that it can easily be manipulated, but not too thin that it breaks apart in your hands. If possible, get your prosciutto sliced at your deli or supermarket instead of buying the pre-sliced stuff.
- If you’re concerned about the prosciutto cups appetizer sticking to your mini muffin pan, use a Silicone Mini Muffin Pan so you can pop the cups right out after baking. Or you could bake the prosciutto cups appetizer in mini muffin cupcake liners.
Crispy Prosciutto Cups with Whipped Goat Cheese
Looking for a fun and eye-popping pre-gaming appetizer? Well, it doesn’t get more impressive than this prosciutto and cheese beauty, with cups made deliciously salty prosciutto and filled with goat cheese.
Just shape, bake and fill. This recipe provides an easy and convenient way to create perfectly-sized Prosciutto and cheese appetizers that hold a winning combination of flavor and elegance.
So appropriate for entertaining!
Baked Prosciutto Cups with Whipped Goat’s Cheese
Bite-sized and delicious, these baked prosciutto cups with whipped goat cheese filling will be a hit at your next party.
Ingredients
- 12 slices thinly sliced prosciutto
thinly sliced prosciutto
- 4 oz. goat cheese, softened
goat cheese
- 4 oz. ricotta cheese
ricotta cheese
- 3 T. heavy cream
heavy cream
- 1 t. honey
honey
- 2 T. fresh thyme, leaves only
fresh thyme
- 1/3 c. pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375⁰F.
- Cut prosciutto slices in half lengthwise to create 24 long, thin strips.
- Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with non-cook cooking spray. Take one thin strip of prosciutto and place is across an empty cup, with the middle of the strip over the mid-point of the cup.
- Press the center of the prosciutto strip into the bottom of the cup. Carefully fold and wrap one end of the prosciutto around one interior side of the cup until it overlaps the prosciutto on the opposite side. Repeat with the opposite side of the prosciutto so that the exposed muffin cup is covered to form a “basket.” Make sure that the prosciutto slices overlap neatly and that there are no holes in the cups.
- Repeat this process with the remaining 23 muffin cups.
- Place muffin tin in preheated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them while they bake so they don’t overcook. The edges of the prosciutto will start to brown when ready.
- Remove pan from oven and cool for a couple minutes before transferring each basket to paper towels to remove excess grease. Flip each basket after several minutes. Once all excess oil has been removed, transfer baskets to a large plate.
- In a small glass bowl, combine goat cheese, ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and thyme leaves. Stir or whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Chop up the pistachios finely. Set aside.
- Once prosciutto baskets are cool to the touch, transfer cheese mixture to a plastic sandwich bag. Cut a small tip off one corner and pipe cheese mixture into each prosciutto basket. Top each cheese-filled basket with chopped pistachios.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Notes
Tools needed:
- mini-muffin tin
- non-cook cooking spray
- Glass bowl
- Whisk
- Plastic Cutting Board
- Knives
- Serving Platter
The Classic Pairing
Prosciutto goes well with figs, so if you are looking for something to serve alongside these prosciutto cups, try making these honey-roasted figs.