Description
This ruffled phyllo pie has a delicious filling similar to Chess Pie, but with a festive upgrade of walnuts, pistachios, and orange flavor! It has just the right amount of sweetness and makes a great dessert for any celebration. Recipe and photo by Doaa Elkady (@doaaelkady_).
Ingredients
- 12 sheets Athens® Phyllo Dough (9” x 14”), thawed
- 1 1/4 sticks butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 cup pistachios, chopped, plus extra for sprinkling
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Honey Orange Syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions
Thaw one roll of phyllo, following thawing instructions on package. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a bowl, mix together 1 stick of melted butter with walnuts, pistachios, granulated sugar, honey, orange zest, orange peel, cinnamon and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk with the cream until fluffy. Pour the egg mixture into the nut mixture and gently stir until combined.
Grease a 9″ x 13″ inch baking tray. Unroll and cover phyllo sheets with plastic wrap, then a slightly damp towel to prevent drying out. Lightly brush 1 sheet with melted butter and lay it horizontally in the tray so that half the phyllo hangs over the long edge of the tray. Layer a second buttered sheet of phyllo on the opposite side, then repeat so two sheets of phyllo hang over the short edge of the tray on both sides. Repeat until all 12 sheets of phyllo are used. Pour the filling into the baking tray and fold the overhanging phyllo along the sides, crumpling it to make a ruffle pattern. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
While the pie is baking, make the syrup by combining the water, honey and orange juice in a saucepan and simmer it for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Pour the syrup over the finished chess pie, reserving a little extra syrup to serve on the side, or on top of labna for a sweet accompaniment. If desired, top with extra crushed nuts. Serve immediately.
