Filo Dough Pie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• Before starting make sure to read the thawing and handleing tips on the fillo dough package that you purchased.
• Chop onions and thinkly slice scallions. Then saute in vegetable oil at medium heat until tender and golden.
• Drain spinach and squeeze dry.
• Thoroughly mix onions, spinach, cheeses, dill, pepper and egg in a large bowl.
• Melt butter.
• Brush bottom and sides of a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan with butter.
• Using 8 fillo sheets build a stack in the bottom of the baking pan by brushing the top of the fillo sheets with butter.
• Spread spinach and cheese mixture evenly over the fillo in the baking pan.
• Cover mixture using the other 8 sheets of fillo in the same manner used to create the base.
• Thoroughly butter the top layer, especially the edges.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown in 375 degree preheated oven.
• Let stand for 10 minutes for easier serving. Cut into squares or triangles using sharp knife.

Steps:

• In a pan, heat the garlic with half of the olive oil.
• Add in the ground meat and small onion.
• When the meat is almost cooked through add in the tomato paste.
• Add in the salt, pepper, cinnamon and all spice to your taste.
• When cooked completely through, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
• In a large lasagna size glass pan, spray the bottom of the pan with Pam.
• Add one sheet of the Phyllo dough.
• Spray that sheet and add another layer the same way until you have 5 sheets sprayed down with the Pam and layered on top of each other.
• You can let it go over the sides if the pan is too small for the sheet.
• Once you have the 5 sheets, add the meat to the sheets and spread evenly.
• Add the feta cheese evenly on top of the meat mixture.
• Make sure it is crumbled small.
• You do not want large chunks in one spot.
• Once you are through with that, start to add the remaining sheets the same way you did to begin with, remembering to spray each sheet as you layer.
• On the top layer, I sprayed with the Pam and also put the remaining olive oil on it spread evenly.
• You do not have to do this, I just like the extra taste.
• I also folded over the overlay to make it seal somewhat.
• Cook for about 15-17 minutes or until it is lightly golden on the top.

Steps:

• Place 2 cups flour in a mixing bowl; make a well in the center. Drizzle in olive oil and add salt; add white wine vinegar and warm water. Mix until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured work surface.
• Knead until dough is smooth, using just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the work surface or your hands, 2 or 3 minutes. Continue to knead until dough is supple and elastic, about 5 more minutes. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 20 (20 gram) portions using a kitchen scale; roll each portion into a ball. Place on plate and cover with plastic wrap to prevent dough balls from drying out while you begin to roll them out. Work in batches of 5.
• Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Dust a work surface and the first dough ball with the cornstarch mixture. Flatten out the dough ball and roll out into a circle, about 5 inches in diameter. Dust again with cornstarch mixture. Set circle to one side. Roll out 4 more dough balls to about the same diameter and stack them on the first one, dusting each layer with more of the cornstarch mixture to keep them from sticking together.
• When you have 5 circles, roll out the stack to a larger circle about double in size, turning as you go to maintain a round shape. Separate each layer and lay out the circles. Re-apply more cornstarch mixture where needed and restack them. Roll again until the 5-layer stack is paper thin, about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place on a sheet of parchment paper; top with another piece of parchment. Gently roll up the dough; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
• Repeat with the remaining 15 balls of dough in batches of 5.

Steps:

• Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and simmer 2 minutes. Set syrup aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix semolina and 1/2 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and 4 tablespoons melted butter; bring to boil, whisking occasionally. Boil until mixture is thick and creamy, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in semolina mixture. Mix in vanilla. Cool filling completely.
• Lightly butter 10-inch glass pie dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of dish. Brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet. Continue layering with 3 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Spoon filling into dish. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Using scissors, trim excess phyllo from sides of dish. With very sharp knife, score tip of phyllo sheets, forming diamond pattern.
• Bake pie until phyllo is golden brown and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack. Immediately strain 1 cup cooled syrup over pastry. Cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve.

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch cake pan, then line with two 17-by-2-inch strips of parchment, forming an X in center and leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter parchment.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface with a long side facing you, keeping remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap. Lightly brush entire surface with melted butter, then sprinkle some of granulated sugar on right half of phyllo. Fold left half over to enclose sugar. Brush top lightly with butter. Press folded phyllo into pan, buttered-side down, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang on one side; gather and crumple dough slightly as you go to make fit and to create a ruffled edge. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, overlapping to completely cover bottom of pan and create a 1/2-inch overhang on all sides. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Brush melted chocolate over bottom and 1 inch up sides of crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
• Filling: Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water, whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in bittersweet chocolate until melted. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Beat 1 cup cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining whipped cream. Pour mixture into cooled crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• Beat remaining 1 cup cream with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Dollop onto pie, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, and serve.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the Swiss chard. If the stems are wide and meaty set them aside for another purpose. If they are thin and sinewy, discard. When the water comes to a boil salt generously and add the chard leaves. Fill a bowl with cold water. Blanch the chard for 1 minute, just until tender, and transfer to the bowl of cold water. Drain, take up the chard by the handful and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup chopped cooked chard.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend together the eggs and goat cheese, either in an electric mixer or in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the milk and the garlic and blend until smooth. If using a processor, scrape into a bowl. Stir in the blanched chopped chard, the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Brush a 9- or 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil and place on a baking sheet for easier handling. Open up the package of phyllo and unfold the sheets of dough. Remove 8 sheets of phyllo and fold the remaining dough back up. Wrap tightly in plastic, return to the box if you wish and either refrigerate or freeze. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan, tucking it into the seam of the pan, with the edges overhanging the rim. Brush it lightly with olive oil (or melted butter and oil) and turn the pan slightly, then place another sheet on top, positioning it so that the edges overlap another section of the pan's rim. Continue to layer in 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with oil - both the bottom and the sides and edges that overhang the pan -- and staggering them so that the overhang on the rim of the pan is evenly distributed and covers the entire pan.
• Pour the goat cheese and chard filling into the phyllo-lined pan, scraping all of it out of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Scrunch the overhanging phyllo in around the edges of the pan to form an attractive lip. Brush the scrunched rim with olive oil. Place in the oven and bake 40 minutes, until the filling is puffed, set and lightly colored on the surface. Remove from the heat (if it puffed up it will settle) and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush pie pan with about 1 Tbsp. butter.
• Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Place 2 phyllo sheets on a work surface with the long side facing you; keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap. Using pastry brush, lightly brush entire surface with butter, then sprinkle 1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar on right half of phyllo. Fold left half of both sheets over to enclose sugar. Brush surface lightly with butter. Press folded phyllo, buttered side down, into center and edges of prepared pan, leaving an equal overhang on two opposite sides. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, rotating where the overhang lies to create a star-like pattern.
• Pour lemon juice into a large bowl. Very thinly slice apples crosswise into rounds with mandoline (about 1 mm thick), transferring to lemon juice and tossing gently to coat as you go.
• Layer apple slices in phyllo-lined pan, overlapping in concentric circles to form a single even layer. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar. Repeat with remaining apple slices, sprinkling with 1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar between each layer and pressing firmly with clean hands to compact. Repeat until pan is full, then sprinkle top with 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar (you may have leftover cinnamon sugar depending on the size of your apples; save for another use).
• Place pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet and tent with 2 pieces of overlapping foil, making sure phyllo crust is fully covered. Bake pie 2 hours. Remove foil and continue to bake until crust is golden brown, 15-20 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Using a clean pastry brush, brush juices from the edges of filling over top to create a shiny glaze. Let cool completely (apples will collapse and set as pie cools; this is okay) before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Pie can be made 1 day ahead; store at room temperature.