Individual phyllo cups are versatile. To maintain their crispness, spoon a sweet or savory filling into them just before serving. Unfilled baked phyllo cups can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before using.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the insides and rims of 6 standard muffin cups.

Melt:

Have ready:

Unfold and stack, then cover with a dry towel and then a damp towel:

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface. Brush the sheet evenly with one-quarter of the melted butter. If using sugar, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of it evenly over the dough. Cover with a second sheet of phyllo and butter and sugar it in the same manner. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo, ending with a layer of butter and sugar. Cut the stack of phyllo sheets into twelve 4 ½-inch squares (3 strips down and 4 across). Place a square stack in one side of a muffin cup, easing it in with the backs of your fingers so that it covers half the bottom and rises to hang over one side of the cup. Ease in a second stack, slightly overlapping the first, to cover the other half of the bottom and hang over the other side of the muffin cup. Repeat to make 5 more phyllo cups.

Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the muffin cups and let cool before filling.