Brown Sugar Fig Ricotta Puff Cups with lemon thyme honey

Brown sugar fig ricotta puff cups with lemon thyme honey 🍯✨ These little puff cups are built for the moment when you want a dessert that looks special but still feels completely doable. The pastry turns golden and flaky, the ricotta stays creamy, the figs roast until jammy, and the lemon thyme honey gives everything a glossy, fragrant finish. Yield: 8 puff cups Time: about 35 minutes Ingredients For the cups: - 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, about 320 g, chilled - 220 g ricotta - 1 tbsp honey - 1 tsp vanilla extract - Finely grated zest of 1 lemon - 1 small pinch fine salt - 6 fresh figs, quartered - 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to finish - 1 egg, beaten, for brushing For the lemon thyme honey: - 3 tbsp honey - 1 tbsp lemon juice - 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves - Small pinch of salt To finish: - 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds - Extra lemon zest - Extra thyme leaves Method 1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Lightly butter or oil 8 cups of a muffin tin. Keep the pastry cold until you are ready to shape it. 2. Cut the puff pastry into 8 even squares. Press each square into a muffin cup, letting the corners lift up naturally. Prick the base once or twice with a fork so it puffs around the filling rather than pushing it out. 3. Stir ricotta with 1 tbsp honey, vanilla, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. The filling should taste lightly sweet and bright, not sugary. 🥣 4. Spoon the ricotta into the pastry cups. Add fig quarters on top, cut side up when possible. Sprinkle with brown sugar and thyme leaves. 5. Brush the exposed pastry corners and edges with beaten egg. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, crisp underneath and deep golden at the edges. If the figs release a little syrup, that is good - it should look glossy, not watery. 6. While the cups bake, warm the honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme and salt in a small pan for 1-2 minutes, just until loose and fragrant. Do not boil hard. 7. Rest the baked cups in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift out carefully. Drizzle with lemon thyme honey and finish with toasted almonds, extra zest and a few thyme leaves. ✨ Serving and storage Serve warm or just cooled, ideally the same day while the pastry is crisp. They are lovely with Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream or strong coffee. Leftovers keep for 1 day in an airtight container; re-crisp for 5-7 minutes in a 180 C / 350 F oven before serving. Keep extra honey separate and drizzle after reheating. Save this when you need a quick dessert that feels golden, creamy and a little bit elegant. 🍽️