Deviled Crab Cups

The filling for these pastry cups is reminiscent of crab cakes, with less breading. Panko, Japanese-style bread crumbs, are used because they’re lighter and less absorbent than regular bread crumbs. The recipe can easily be doubled to use a full batch of the cream cheese pastry.

recipe Savory Cream Cheese Pastry , chilled 8 oz. canned lump or claw crabmeat, drained 1/3 cup panko*

1/4 cup minced onion 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 1. Cut chilled pastry round in half; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine crabmeat, panko, onion and bell pepper in medium bowl. With fork, stir in parsley, dry mustard, salt and cayenne pepper. Toss with butter and cream, mixing thoroughly. (Filling can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough half 1/8 inch thick (keep remaining dough refrigerated until needed). With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Reroll scraps of dough once after letting rest 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. (Cut out a total of 24 pastry circles.)

Line 24 mini muffin cups with pastry circles, fluting edges slightly inside top rim. Fill each with rounded 1 tablespoon filling, packing lightly with fingers.**

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake fresh or frozen pastries 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pastries from pan; cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TIPS *Panko are coarse bread crumbs usually found next to other bread crumbs in the supermarket.

**Crab cups can be made ahead to this point. Cover pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight or freeze 2 hours or until firm. Remove pastries from muffin cups; arrange in airtight containers, separating layers with plastic wrap. Freeze up to 3 weeks. When ready to bake, return frozen pastries to mini muffin cups.

appetizers PER APPETIZER: 85 calories, 6.5 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 2.5 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 25 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 0 g fiber