Falafel Cups

For Sukkot's traditionally vegetarian/dairy meal, I made these variations of falafel pie.  Each one is filled with a dollop of baba gannouj  and topped with shreds of lettuce and diced tomatoes.  A little baguette and brie, plus a glass of wine, and you have an elegant picnic dinner under the sukkah.

These are also adorable appetizers or savory tea items.  You can make them with gluten-free flour if necessary.  The flour isn't for leavening, but for structure.

2/3 C dried chickpeas
*1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
*1/4 C fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
*3 cloves garlic
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C flour
olive oil for greasing pan

1.  The day before, soak garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in 3 C water.  Working from dried really makes a difference in texture, so it's worth planning ahead.  Let sit 12-18 hours, then drain.

2.  Place all the ingredients through the baking powder in the food processor.  Pulse at first, then let run into a grainy paste, about 30 seconds.  Add flour and pulse into a stiff batter.

3.  While oven is preheating to 375º, make the cups.  First, get as much oil to stick to the muffin pan as possible.  I was out of pan spray, so I can't vouch for its effectiveness.  Press the batter into the muffin cups, working it up the edges.  As for yield, I ended up with ten cups because that was how many I needed.  You can probably coax between 8 and 12 out of this, depending on how full you make the cups.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes.  The upper edges should turn darker brown and pull away from the sides.  Allow to cool slightly, then carefully remove from pan with a thin spatula.  It isn't a disaster if a hole tears in the bottom unless you plan for folks to eat them by hand.  On a plate, it's fine.

5.  Fill with a tablespoon of baba gannouj, savory yogurt, or another dip, then top with fresh vegetables.  Serve room temperature.

Makes 8-12

Difficulty rating. :)