Ruffled Phyllo Pistachio Cream Pie
With its crispy, buttery top and rich, creamy center, our Ruffled Phyllo Pistachio Cream Pie is a showstopper. Whether you make it using our easy homemade Pistachio Cream or use a store-bought version, the real pistachio flavor shines.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 8 - 10 9x13-inch sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed (or 5 -7 sheets 18x14-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.
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