MORE MILK – Ruffle some feathers with our simple dessert.

Ruffled Filo Pie with Honey and Pistachios

This wonderful recipe is an adaptation of a Greek dessert with a creamy baked custard base and crispy fillo pastry top. Don't be intimidated by the it's milky frills and ruffles, it really is easy to make and even easier to eat.
Serves 8

• 60g butter, melted

• 8 sheets filo pastry

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1½ cups milk

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup caster sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ¼ cup roasted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease and line a 20cm (8inch) cake pan.
2. Lay out the fillo pastry on the bench and cover lightly with a damp cloth, this will prevent the pastry from drying out and cracking. Take out one sheet of pastry and lay it lengthways on the bench. Lightly brush the pastry with the melted butter. Ruffle up the pastry so that you bring the long sides closer together, then coil up the length of ruffled filo to create a rosette. Place this into the greased cake pan and continue with the remaining pastry and butter. Place 7 rosettes of pastry around the outside of the cake pan and then one in the centre.
3. Liberally brush the top of the pastry with the remaining butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes. 
4. While the pastry is cooking, place the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. While the milk is warming place the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk well. Gradually pour over the hot milk while whisking the mixture until all the milk has been added.
5. After the 30 minutes remove the cake pan from the oven and pour over the egg custard mixture. Return to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes or until custard sets..
6. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before pulling apart into the rosettes for serving. While still hot drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.

Recipe: Sally Courtney.