Some recipes emerge from our brains fully formed, like Zeus. Others, like this ruffled phyllo pistachio cream pie, evolved over a long period of time. I’ve been thinking about working on a version of the Greek dessert called Galatopita (also called “Ruffled Milk Pie”) for a few years now. The traditional version, in which phyllo is baked directly into a simple custard, is often flavored with cinnamon. It’s baked in stages, so the top stays golden and crisp, while the bottom turns into a sort of phyllo bread pudding. And we’re always doing funky things with custards.
But ever since we splurged on a jar of Italian-style Pistachio Cream, I’ve been thinking of creative outlets for it (other than eating it directly off our fingers, straight out of the fridge, like savages). This Ruffled Pistachio Cream Pie is the marriage of those two ideas. Crisp, buttery phyllo, baked with a silky, pistachio-inflected custard. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds.
The problem is, Pistachio Cream is really expensive. A 7-ounce jar can cost upwards of $15, which is just too much for us to spend when developing a recipe (we have to make it several times to make sure it’s perfect). And we want to make recipes that everyone can enjoy, without having to cash in your kid’s college fund. (Unless you like pistachio cream more than you like your kid. This is a judgment-free zone.)
The solution, as it often is, was to figure out how to make our own pistachio cream. It turns out, it’s really quite easy and so much more affordable. Affordable pistachio cream pie was, indeed, within reach.
watch the video!
I think phyllo dough is trying to kill me
The one wrinkle (pun intended) in this recipe is the phyllo dough. Phyllo (sometimes spelled ‘Filo’) is a tissue-thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and spanakopita. That crackly-crisp texture is made by layering many sheets of phyllo, each brushed with oil or butter before baking. It’s absolutely delicious, but notoriously challenging to make by hand.
Luckily, frozen phyllo is easy to find at most grocery stores these days. Unluckily, that doesn’t necessarily eliminate the challenges. Why? Because Phyllo is a finicky creature. It cracks, it tears, it sticks to itself. It dries out faster than a rat up a drainpipe, so you have to keep it moist, but not TOO moist. Gah! We’ve had whole boxes of phyllo where the layers are inextricably glued together. So yes, it can be frustrating to work with.
The good news is, none of that matters here. You’ll see versions of this kind of pie made up of perfectly coiled rosettes of phyllo. Personally, I find that unnecessarily fussy. I mean, it’s pretty, and if you like the look, you absolutely can go for it, but to my mind, a loose, frilly, random pattern is much more pleasing. And with phyllo, the craggier, the better texture-wise, so if your phyllo, like ours, refuses to cooperate, just go with it.
While you’re working with the phyllo, place a very lightly moistened dish towel or paper towel over the stack of sheets on your work surface, re-covering the stack each time you take a sheet out. You want the towel to be just barely wet, or the moisture will cause the sheets to stick together. The best way to do this is to either lightly spritz the towel with a sprayer or place a lightly moistened paper towel on top of a dry one.
what size phyllo to use
Another thing to keep in mind is that Phyllo is sold in varying sheet sizes, though you’ll most often find either 9″x14″ or 18″x14″. If you want to make perfect rosettes, you’ll do better with the larger size. If you’re going for random ruffles, either size will work fine. You may also see a thickness listed on the box. For this pie, use anything from #4 (very thin) to #7 (medium thickness).
Regardless of what shape you want, make sure not to compress the phyllo as you scrunch it. Keeping it loose will allow the dough to crisp, and also leave room for the custard to settle in to the craggy spaces. So don’t cram in the dough, just fill the skillet or pie dish with loose coils.
skillet, pie dish or baking pan
You can bake the pistachio cream pie in a 9-inch heavy bottomed skillet (we used our favorite Field Company cast iron pan), or a 9-inch (deep dish) pie plate, or even a glass or metal brownie pan. Just make sure the pie plate is deep enough to hold the custard. You want the custard to come up about three quarters of the way to the top of the phyllo, leaving the last quarter of pastry dry, so it stays crispy after baking.
the process
Start by melting a stick of butter, and use a pastry brush to generously butter the skillet or pie dish. Then take a sheet of phyllo and brush it lightly with butter, making sure to get all the corners and edges. Using your hands, scrunch the short sides of the phyllo towards each other so it forms a loose accordion style strip. Don’t worry if the phyllo gets rips or tears in it.
Starting at one end of the strip of phyllo, roll the phyllo into a loose, puffy cinnamon-roll shape and place it in the center of the pan. Again, try not to press the pastry down; you want it to have some height and be quite loose. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo, until the pan is filled but not packed tightly.
Using the pastry brush, dab and drizzle the tops of the phyllo coils with the butter, making sure everything is lightly coated. You might not need to use all the butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar all over the top and place it in a 400ºF oven until the phyllo turns crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool slightly while you make the custard. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.
the custard
For the custard, add the eggs, the egg yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, milk, cream and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk until combined and frothy. Add the Pistachio Cream and whisk until it’s fully combined. If you’re using store-bought pistachio cream, you’ll probably want to use a whole 6 or 7 ounce jar (instead of the full cup of the homemade version). The sweetness of store-bought pistachio creams can vary, but it tends to be sweeter than our homemade version, so you can use a little less of it.
Once the baked phyllo has cooled a little, place it on a sheet tray (to catch any custard overflow). If it has sunk down a little as it baked, you can gently “re-fluff” it a little by pulling the coils apart and making them stand a little taller. Don’t worry if it cracks and creates little gaps in the pan, you’re going to fill it with custard anyway.
Slowly pour the custard into the gaps, avoiding soaking the crisp phyllo as best you can. Again, you want to the custard to come up about three quarters of the way to the top of the phyllo, leaving the last quarter dry and sticking up above the liquid. Place it in the oven and bake until the custard is just set, about 20 minutes. Let it cool slightly before dusting it generously with powdered sugar and sprinkling it with a few chopped pistachios.
and it can be made ahead!
After extensive (and delicious) testing, we are pleased to inform you that this pie can not only be made ahead and re-heated, it can be frozen, and reheats absolutely perfectly.
I don’t know about you, but one of my least favorite things is to have guests over for a dinner party, and have to stress about whether dessert is going to turn out ok. The more I can do ahead of time, the better. If I can make something a day, or even several days ahead, so much the better.
After baking, let the pie cool to room temperature, then over it with plastic wrap. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month.
To reheat, preheat the oven to 200ºF. If refrigerated, the pie should take about 20 minutes. If frozen, give it 30 minutes.
Is this pie a bit of a luxury? Yes. Will you regret making it? Absolutely not. A showstopper dessert for a dinner party, and it’s easier to make than it seems.
Ruffled Phyllo Pistachio Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 8 – 10 9×13-inch sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed (or 5 -7 sheets 18×14-inch)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar divided
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 cup Homemade Pistachio Cream or 7-ounces store-bought
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Finely chopped pistachios for garnish
Instructions
- Make Homemade Pistachio Cream if not using store-bought.
- Heat oven to 400ºF and set a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-inch deep pie dish or cast iron skillet.
- Place one sheet of phyllo on your work surface and lightly brush with melted butter. Using your hands, scrunch the short sides of the phyllo towards each other so it forms a loose accordion style strip. Don’t worry if the phyllo has little rips and tears in it.
- Starting at one end of the strip of phyllo, roll the phyllo into a loose, puffy cinnamon-roll shape and place it in the center of the pan. Try not to press pastry down; you want it to have some height and be quite loose. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo, until the pan is filled but not packed tightly. If your phyllo is difficult to work with, just create loose ruffles and fill the pan as best you can.
- Brush the top of the ruffles with some of the remaining butter, making sure there are no dry spots (don’t feel you have to use it all), sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the top. Place it on a sheet pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until phyllo is golden brown. Remove from the oven, and lower temperature to 350ºF. Let pan cool for about 10 minutes.
- For the custard, add the eggs, yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, milk, cream and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk until combined and frothy. Add Pistachio Cream and whisk until fully combined.
- If phyllo has sunk and has lost height, gently lift some of the rosettes so they sit higher. Don’t worry if it cracks and creates small empty spots in the dish. Gently pour the custard into the spaces between the baked phyllo, so you don’t completely coat the pastry. The custard should come about 3/4 of the way up the pastry, so the top 1/4 of the phyllo will be peeking out. Return pie to oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until custard is just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour. Transfer to a serving dish and dust with powdered sugar and crushed pistachios.
Video
Notes
- To keep the phyllo from drying out — Place the phyllo sheets on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and a dish towel that has been lightly sprayed with water until damp but not soaking wet. Remove one sheet of phyllo at a time as you work.
- Our Ruffled Phyllo Pistachio Cream Pie can be made ahead — After baking, let pie cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap. It can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to a month. To reheat, preheat oven to 200ºF. If refrigerated, bake for about 20 minutes, until phyllo is crispy and custard is warm. If frozen, bake for 10 minutes longer, about 30 minutes total.