Baking| Cherry Phyllo Pie … sweet cherry pie, with home made phyllo.
“Pie makes people happy”
Shauna of Gluten Free Girl
Junes Daring Baker challenge of Baklava reignited the pastry baker in me. The success of home made phyllo won me over, and soon enough I made another batch of dough. This time it ended up rather deliciously in a Cherry Phyllo Pie. 
Summers in North India are treacherous for home bakers like me. By the time the heat and dust kind of kill you, the monsoon comes along to completely take the remaining ‘pastry happiness’ away. Making pastry at home slowly shifts to the back burner waiting for cooler days to return before I attempt to make puff pastry and shortcrust etc.
I am still amazed at why I didn’t get to making phyllo at home earlier. This is a summer pastry for a country like ours. Light, crisp, versatile, delightful … amazing stuff! Thanks to the good Greek food blogger Peter @ Kalofagas, I’m now a phyllo convert. I forgot to take a picture of a rolled out phyllo sheet the last time, & was a bit embarrassed when Peter asked for one, so I set off again. Not sure if this is thin enough on the roll, but this was about how thin I could get it.
A box of cherries in my fridge, I just knew what I wanted to make with the phyllo, a cherry pie. It was going to be set in a dessert ring, and would also use my last stash of brandied burgundy preserved cherries from last year, and leftover nut mix from last months baklava. I must admit I’m getting a teeny bit better at clearing the fridge and putting leftovers to productive {read delicious} use. This pie was one such experiment … YUM!! 
The combination of fresh cherries with the brandied burgundy cherries offered a divine twist to the pie, highlighted by the nut mix which offered wonderful texture and contrast to flavours. Once it cooled down to room temperature for 4-5 hours, it sliced well. The top layer was buttery crisp {though my lattice kind of stepped off in all its crispness… lol}, and the lower layers were soft and addictive.
Thank you Peter for the push in the right direction, and happy birthday too! It’s a coincidence that I’m posting a phyllo pie on your big day!
Oh and before I go, you must meet someone. We’ve welcomed the sweetest little pooch into our home today, a ‘cute as a button‘ cocker spaniel pup. Meet Coco. All of 42 days old, naughty, intelligent, playful … C U T E!!
Summary:I This is a summer pastry for a country like ours. Light, crisp, versatile, delightful, and ended up in a equally delightful cherry pie.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients for Phyllo Cherry Pie:
- 1 portion phyllo pastry, recipe below
- 500gms fresh cherries, pitted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3/4 cup mixed nut meal {I used walnuts, pistachios, almonds chopped fine with 3 tbsp sugar from here}
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Method:
- Toss the pitted cherries with the brown sugar, cornflour and lime juice in a pan and gently simmer for 7-10 minutes until soft. Remove the cherries from the liquid, and reduce the liquid till thick and syrupy. Pour over the cherries and cool completely.
- Line a baking sheet with foil, place an 8″ dessert ring {or springform ring} on it, and bring the foil up the outside to seal the sides.
- Brush the base with melted butter, and place a sheet of phyllo on it. Brush the sheet with melted butter and repeat 3 times, using 5 sheets.
- Sprinkle over 1/4 of the nut mix. Turn half the cherry mixture {I tossed mine with preserved cherries} over this, and sprinkle over another 1/4 of the nut mix.
- Repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo pastry, remembering to brush with butter each time, then 1/4 cup nut mix, remaining cherry mix, remaining nu mix… and then 5 more layers of phyllo. Brush the top most layer generously with melted butter.
- Bake for 1 hour. Allow to stand at room temperature and cut when completely cool.
Phyllo Dough:
Dough can be made a head of time and froze. Just remove from freezer and allow to thaw and continue making your pie. I made it 2 days in advance I stored it in cling wrap in the fridge.
Ingredients for Phyllo Pastry:
- 185gm all purpose {plain} flour
- 1/8tsp salt
- 1/2 cup less 1 tbsp water, plus more if needed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
- 1/2 tsp cider vinegar, {could substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar, but could affect the taste}
Method:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine flour and salt. Mix with paddle attachment.
- Combine water, oil and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Add water & oil mixture with mixer on low speed, mix until you get a soft dough, if it appears dry add a little more water. Change to the dough hook and let knead approximately 10 minutes. You will end up with beautiful smooth dough. If you are kneading by hand, knead approx. 20 minutes.
- Remove the dough from mixer and continue to knead for 2 more minutes. Pick up the dough and through it down hard on the counter a few times during the kneading process.
- Thermomix: Place all ingredients in the bowl of the TM. Process on Speed 6 for 7 seconds. Then knead on bread setting for 3.5 minutes. Turn onto counter, roll into a neat ball.
- Shape the dough into a ball and lightly cover with oil
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest 30-90 minutes, longer is best {Mine rested for 2 days and it was still perfect}
Rolling your Phyllo**
Remove all rings and jewelry so it does not snag the dough**Use whatever means you have to get the dough as thin as you can.
- Unwrap your dough and cut off a chunk slightly smaller than a golf ball. While you are rolling be sure to keep the other dough covered so it doesn’t dry out. Be sure to flour your hands, rolling pin and counter. As you roll you will need to keep adding, don’t worry, you can’t over-flour.
- Roll out the dough until it is as thin a circle as you can it. Don’t worry if you get rips in the dough, as long as you have one perfect one for the top you will never notice.
- When you get it as thin as you can with the rolling pin, carefully pick it up with well floured hands and stretch it on the backs of your hands as you would a pizza dough, just helps make it that much thinner. Roll out your dough until it is transparent. NOTE: you will not get it as thin as the frozen phyllo dough you purchase at the store, it is made by machine
- Set aside on a well-floured surface. Repeat the process until your dough is used up, about 15 sheets. Between each sheet again flour well. You will not need to cover your dough with a wet cloth, as you do with boxed dough, it is moist enough that it will not try out.
- Trim each circle to size using the dessert ring and a pastry wheel.
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
37 Comments
Peter
Dee-Buh…very creative to do some lattice work with the phyllo…looks fab!
Dwiana
Love the ide of using phyllo Deeba! what a cute little puppy, I wanna kiss him so bad.
cheers,
Dwiana
Rosa
Beautiful! Yo0ur phyllo pastry is perfect. I also made my very first phyllo last week and the result was fantastic…
What a cute puppy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Vimitha
Coco looks so cute and adorable and looks like a total bundle of joy… And that pie looks so flaky, flavorful and yummy…
Barbara Bakes
Such an adorable little puppy. I just want to eat him up! Of course, I’d settle for a slice of your gorgeous pie.
Barbara | Creative Culinary
As always, amazing photos. And also amazing pie…I’ve never considered making my own phyllo dough either. You do make that sound manageable and I might be tempted!
But the puppy. Oh the puppy. I have a 12 year old Cocker Spaniel; so remembering now her puppy face; nothing cuter in my book!
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker
Ok for once in my life im going to say forget the recipe, oh my goodness THAT PUPPY!!!! That is the cutest little thing ive seen in so very long 🙂 delicious recipe too of course…this post is just plain lovely!
gloria
Deeba amazing and delicious Pie and your puppy is so cute adorable!! hugg sgloria
Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets
I can’t help but “awww” out loud every time I see your adorable pup! And wow a phyllo lattice pie?? I’d never have thought of it. What a fab idea and your photography is just getting better and better!
Tadka Pasta
You are amazing, phyllo from scratch and a gorgeous pie!
Jenn
Gorgeous photos! Looks delicious. And what a cutie little doggie!
luvnspoonfuls
I have never thought to make home made phyllo dough, but you have given me courage to try. I’m sure the flavor, just like anything else home made, is superior to the store-bought version. And, I love anything that features cherries. Can’t wait to try it out in the fall as well as it will make an awesome strudel I’m sure! Lovely pictures, and what an a-dor-a-ble puppy! Congratulations on the new member of the family!
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy
The pie looks scrumptious loaded with all that fresh cherry & nut goodness..You have made one of the most decadent looking phyllo pastry. Congrats on the new pet – she’s soo cute!
Have a wonderful week ahead.
Maureen
Oh my God I can’t decide whether I’m in love with the cherry phyllo pie or Coco!!
I have a half spaniel half poodle that is the best dog we’ve ever had. When he was a puppy he looked a little “Wooky” too but sadly that goes away. Good luck with that beautiful ball of fur. Coco is gorgeous!
Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)
Great idea with phyllo. Love the sour cherries. And what an adorable little fellow! He is so sweet.
Heidi @ Food Doodles
What a cute puppy 😀
Your pie looks amazing! I love the use of phyllo! The texture must be amazing. I’m going to bookmark this to try – I love the idea and yours looks so good!
cakewhiz
Your little puupy is adorable! and your pie looks incredible. i still haven’t gotten my hands dirty with making my own pies but the day i do, i will be refering to your detailed post 🙂
thoma suggested your blog to me and i am so happy to have such a fabulous new blog to read! your pictures are just breath-taking!
Najla
That’s a great recipe with the phyllo dough.. Looks yummy and colourful.. Love the rustic feel and bright red cherries in your snaps ..
zurin
Oh Dear Deeba!
You got me at home made phyllo pastry! I like makign things from scratch and the more unexpected a product it is the more it challenges me. You pie is as beautiful as always…gorgeous pics and the pastry is pastry perfect….thnak you so much for a wonderful make yourself pastry recipe..this is a keeper and Ill be making it soon…definitely…:))) happy sigh ~
Indu
Love coco. Had a cocker spaniel myself -arjun , because he was brave and smart 😉
Love the pie as well 🙂
meeta
What a delicious idea Deeba – a kind of fruity Baklava! I made something similar but with apricots and thought of you!
Toby
This looks wonderful! I love the contrast of textures in this, and I bet the preserved cherries added plenty of oompf! Mine have only been in for 4 months ) so I’m biding my time for some Christmas delights – this could well be among them!
Toby. x
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen
What a cutie pie Dee! Congrats on that. And this pie is beyond words. I ‘m always surprised how you do it. I mean as if the Phyllo pie wasn’t impressive enough u went all laced and all. Genius 🙂
arthi
oh coco is so cute deeba…and yr fruity baklava looks delish!
Pia
what a stunner of a pie, deeba! the pictures made me want a (big) slice…now! oh, and my daughter just had an entire conversation with coco’s photograph! the most adorable little pup i’ve seen in a while!
Shumaila
Good job with the phyllo and what a creative use of it! And oh I love dogs and yours is such a cutie!
Sally Prosser
Still in awe of the filo making. Heart melts at the puppy 🙂
Ameena
IfI wasn’t so fearful of phyllo I would definitely try this! It looks fabulous and delicious! Love your pictures too. 🙂
Joy
The pie looks so cool
Arti
Hi Deeba,
Coco is sooooooo adorable!!! And I was just wondering how do u manage to get time? I mean two kids (teen and pre-teen) with different dietary requirements, an ever-hungry blog, e-mails from curious blog visitors, facebook, tweeter, and rabid baker ,day-to-day chores and much much more and on the top of all these a 42 days old puppy!!! You are great!!
I love making Baklava but never ever thought or gathered courage to make it from scatch!!
You are really wonderful!! Plz keep up good work!!!
Deeba @ PAB
LOL Arti, I don’t know either, but I’ve pretty much cut back on baking loads all the time. I struggle to find time to keep up, but at the end of the day, we ALWAYS seem to find time for what we WANT to do. That’s th case with me. The little pooch is being potty trained in all this madness, the pre-teen has just been to the hospital and back with low grade fever, the teen didn’t sleep all night because ‘her’ pup cried all night {new place away from Mum} … and life goes on!!
Anamika
I have been browsing through your blog silently for almost a year. Admiring the pictures and soaking the flavours. But only know when I have started blogging, I realise the importance of sharing the opinion, the value of comments. So this was just to let you know that your blog is just great, elegant & droolworthy!!
Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet
Your photography is just extraordinary and the cherry pie looks exquisite. But it’s all surpassed by the cuteness of Coco.
KC Quaretti-Lee
I have never made filo but now because of this marvelous post it is on my to try list! You take beautiful photos and I really enjoyed my visit here. I’ll certainly be back often!
Renata
As always, Deeba, you have done an amazing job. Your phyllo looks so flaky and delicious. Love your choice of cherry filling. Looks gorgeous!
The puppy is SO CUTE!
Marissa
Gosh!
You should get arrested for making us hungry, LOL
The Cherry Phyllo Pie look so fresh on the pancake.
We’re really impressed with your creation, may we share your photos in our food photography site
http://www.foodporn.net ?
Just in case you haven’t heard about it, Food porn is food photography site where foodies and bloggers around the world submit their best creation and get featured.
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