Ruffled Milk Pie

By ajiann

This elegant and tasty dessert from chef Vefa Alexiadou's "Vefa's Kitchen" cookbook is made with phyllo, or thin, pliable sheets of fresh pastry dough made from flour and water. When baked, the dough separates into layers because of the butter trapped between them, resulting in a very flaky, crisp pastry.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons melted Clarified Butter
• 8 to 9 sheets store-bought phyllo
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 large eggs
• 1 generous cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 14-inch round cake pan with some of the clarified butter; set aside.
Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on work surface with one long side parallel to edge of work surface. Using your hands, loosely ruffle phyllo by pushing short sides towards one another to create a long cylindrical shape. Place upright in center of prepared cake pan creating a spiral. Repeat process with remaining sheets, continuing spiral outwards until bottom of pan is covered.
Using a pastry brush, brush remaining clarified butter all over phyllo in pan; sprinkle with cinnamon. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat milk in a medium saucepan until it just barely begins to boil; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Gradually add heated milk, a little bit at a time, whisking constantly; whisk in vanilla.
Spoon milk mixture over baked phyllo, evenly covering surface. Return pan to oven and bake until filling has set, 25 to 30 minutes more. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon; serve immediately.