Chai Spiced Ruffled Milk Pie Food

CHAI SPICED RUFFLED MILK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Lightly grease inside of 9 inch springform pan, then wrap foil and place onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
• Place all chai spice ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Place 2 sheets filo onto a clean surface, overlapping one another. Brush the top sheet with butter and top with 2 more sheet of filo and brush with butter.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup of chopped walnuts evenly over buttered filo followed by 1 tablespoon brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of chai spice.
• Carefully scrunch together filo sheet from top to bottom, then tightly curl into a spiral.
• Place stuffed and rolled filo into center of springform.
• Repeat steps 4 to 6 with remaining ingredients, adding to the original spiral, with each ruffled log of filo until the springform is full.
• Place pie in oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
• While pie is baking, make custard base: Pour milk and vanilla into a saucepan and scald over medium-low heat.
• In a mixing bowl combine remaining cup of brown sugar and eggs and whisk together.
• Add ½ cup scalding milk to egg and sugar mixture and quickly whisk together to prevent scrambling. Whisk an additional ½ cup milk to mixture and whisk together.
• Pour mixture back into saucepan with remaining milk and whisk together.
• Cook mixture, constantly stirring, until just thick enough to barely coat the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in ½ tablespoon chai spice into milk mixture and remove from heat.
• After 20 minutes remove pie from oven. Pour milk mixture evenly over pie and place back into oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until custard sets and top of pie turns golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes before unmolding from pan. Transfer to serving dish.
• Combine powdered sugar with remaining chai spice and sift over ruffled pie. Serve.

PUMPKIN APPLE CHAI SPICED RUFFLED MILK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F. Brush a 9" round or 8" x 8" square cake pan lightly with melted butter and line with a sheet of parchment that is large enough to come up the sides of the baking pan. Lightly brush the parchment paper with butter.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a clean surface and brush it with a light coat of melted butter. Use your fingers to scrunch up the phyllo long ways, into a loose ruffled strip. Make sure it's not rolled tightly or the phyllo will bake up and be too doughy!
• Don't be concerned if the dough tears a bit, no one will ever notice. Place each roll into your prepared pan and repeat with the rest of the phyllo dough until your pan is filled. You should have about 8-10 spirals depending on the size of your phyllo dough sheets.
• Brush the tops of the spirals with the remaining butter and bake 20-25 minutes until the phyllo is nice and golden brown in colour.
• While the phyllo is baking, prepare the custard by whisking together the milk, cornstarch, pumpkin, applesauce, vanilla, spices and sugar.
• Remove the pan from the oven and pour the custard mixture over the phyllo spirals. Return pan to the oven and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the custard is set in the center.
• Let cool for 15 minutes, then lift from the pan and serve dusted with powdered sugar. This is best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a little sprinkle of cinnamon. If there are any leftovers, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days and miraculously, it will still be just as delish.

RUFFLED MILK PIE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Brush a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate (preferably with ruffled edges) with some of the melted butter. Stir together the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Place the sheets of phyllo on a baking sheet and cover with a barely damp kitchen towel or several paper towels to keep from drying out.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough with a long side closest to you on a work surface. Brush the phyllo sheet with some of the melted butter until completely coated, then sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar. Using your hands, gently bring the long sides toward one another, scrunching the phyllo as you go to create a ruffled effect. Gently coil the phyllo into a rose shape about 3 1/2-inches in diameter. Place the phyllo rose in one corner of the pie plate. Repeat to make 3 more phyllo roses. Arrange them so they fill the bottom of the pie plate in a single layer. If the phyllo dough tears or breaks, it is okay since it will just add to the ruffled effect of the final pie. If there are any spaces between the phyllo roses, gently spread them with your hands until the roses cover the entire bottom of the pie plate.
• Brush the 8 remaining phyllo sheets with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and shape into a slightly smaller rose (2 1/2 to 3-inches). Place 1 rose in the center of the pie plate on top of the first layer, then surround it with the remaining 7 roses. If there is any remaining melted butter, drizzle it on top of the roses.
• Bake on the preheated baking sheet until deep golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once after 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet while you prepare the custard.
• Place the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to steam, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the vanilla, salt, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl. While whisking constantly, gradually add the milk and cream mixture a little bit at a time until smooth and combined.
• Pour or spoon the custard between the crispy phyllo layers; this will ensure that the phyllo on top stays nice and crispy. Bake until the filling is just set, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the almonds if using and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm.