A Berry Sour Cream Custard Pie with Phyllo Crust

Pie is most certainly my favorite thing to make. Often on afternoon making pie dough, getting my fingers into the cold butter and flour, it’s like a beautiful mental trip or therapy session. It soothes the soul. Can I say that’s really the secret to any yummy flaky pie dough. And when it comes to fillings, I’ll make all but for me to truly savor it, I like fruit pies. I’m a purist at heart. The simple use what’s sweetest and best in season. Like now, with berries and early stone fruit filling the markets. A dashing of spices perhaps or herbs from the garden, and a bit of sugar or honey, you have yourself any loving Summer Fruit Pie. 

As with most fun recipes, the kind that seem a bit wordy with the multitude of ingredients. Well, for me those recipes are often the ones where I’m most likely trying to use up ingredients, doughs and fresh produce as to not toss them away. And this Sour Cream Custard, although much more creamier than to be expected of a custard, the early season berries add the right tartness but the Phyllo Dough really is the ultimate for crisp and flaky pastry layers!!

It certainly is the one I thing that requires more patience and care when making. Which is why it’s the dough I prefer not to work with too often, perhaps it’s the multiple layering of melted butter, which personally not the biggest fan — yet getting my hands up in solid butter is no problem lol …. Oh but that crunch and the creamy fruit filled filling is a perfect and lovely combination of flavors and textures. 

This pie, I guess you could say is high rustic comfort, the simple classic sour cream custard pie filling and the more delicate and special Phyllo Dough. Chef’s kiss 😉

I think it was its most delectable, slightly warm after sitting at room temperature for few hours. The filling settled and became a thick creme that was faintly warm, making it nice dessert to enjoy on a crisp summer night topped with some ice cream. A perfect summer combination for any moment this season!

And if you prefer the chilled things is life, the flavors do develop quite nicely overnight as this sour cream custard … 

Now you may be think to yourself, Sour Cream, that’s not your usual choice of pie custard ingredient. It’s not an ingredient I tend to reach for, but had some just sitting there from a small order, that now was reaching its end. And in the freezer, a box of phyllo, or is the correct spelling Filo? do you know, has sat for far too many days to be counted in days…

Also, laying in the fruit baskets, sadly to say some not so great too early for their season peaches, that were simply not in great quality and lacked flavor, but I couldn’t pain myself to part ways with them — peeled, cleaned and sliced, into the pie they were going too. 

I always have some fruit frozen ready to go for breakfast, most often its a berry blend, and since I didn’t have any fresh on hand, I defrosted a few berries I already for this pie.

This is why this is a great custard based pie because you can use the filling and customize with whichever fruit you like, as well as the dough going for a classic pie dough, flaky puff pastry or going for the ultimate crunch, this Phyllo version … 

If you like nuts, go ahead, try this pie with a few crunchy bits folded in. I know it will be delicious!

Don’t be intimated by the word Custard and Pie, yes sometimes it can feeling daunting, especially when it comes to bake it just right or mixing the eggs right, but this one is made by a quick blending of a few simple ingredients like sour cream, one solo egg, a bit of flour, sugar, a dashing of vanilla and maybe even almond extract because why not. Stir until everything is mixed quite well. Add in your fruit, nuts or filling fixings of choice and fill your dough lined pie pan. 

Phyllo Dough makes for a perfectly light and flaky crust for anything it is made with, savory or sweet. It’s doesn’t over shadow the sour cream custard, in fact it enhances all the flavors of it, at least I think so.

If you were to look up other sour cream pie recipes, you might see most with a crumble topping, as apparently the classic recipe calls for. I’m certain it’s even more delightful with it atop, but I was extra work I didn’t want to take on and I was really feeling a simple only creamy fruit custard pie. 

It’s fresh and light! I actually began to dig it the more I nibbled at it, and found it a refreshingly perfect pie for this season. It may have made me appreciate the loveliness of baked cream pie a little more.  I’m thinking it will be marvelous, is that too much lol, well with only peaches or mixture of seasonal stone fruit, or even chocolate chips and nuts, perhaps a s’mores version. Now, that sounds amazing!!

It’s a great pie recipe to have on hand this summer when outdoor entertaining will be in full swing again, even more than last summer, at home entertaining, which has been a great way to gather, build community in person, or virtual, get to enjoy our comforts and passions whether it be cooking, baking, hosting, music,  A lovely dessert to welcome the official start to the Summer Solstice and all our Fathers, and Fatherly Figures 🧡

If you want verdict from my father when I made this, well he enjoys everything, but he would top each of his slices with ice cream, and I think that’s all one can want this summer. Well, amongst many yummy things 😋

Happy Summer Pie Baking!

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SEASONAL FRUIT SOUR CREAM CUSTARD PIE with PHYLLO CRUST

MAKES ONE 9″ ROUND DEEP DISH PIE

 

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INGREDIENTS

Crust

20 to 24 sheets – Phyllo Dough

8 tablespoons – Melted Butter

Filling Seasonal Fruit Sour Cream Filling

¾ cup – Organic Cane Sugar

1 cup – Sour Cream

1 large  – Egg

1 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract

½ teaspoon – Almond Extract

1 tablespoon – Fresh Lemon Juice

½ teaspoon – Salt

2 tablespoons – Flour

2 ½ – 3/4 cups – Mixed Berries + Peaches, optional, replace with whatever fruit preference

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RECIPE

Preheat oven to 375*F degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Prep your Phyllo Dough  ..…  Gently layer a piece of phyllo dough flat in your deep pie plate, allowing one side of the sheet to run up the sides of the dish. Brush layer of sheets with melted butter, then top with another sheet of phyllo dough, or pieces if it breaks on you, and brush top with butter. Repeat this this step until using up about sheets of phyllo, making sure to press the sheets together firming, especially along the walls of baking dish to then create a high border for the filling. *Note :: keep a moist paper towel or light rag atop the dough to prevent it from drying out too quickly.*

Continue with filling and baking. 

To Make Filling & Bake Pie  …..  increase oven to 400*F degrees

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, sour cream, egg, vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, salt and flour until smooth. Fold in the berries or fruit of choice. Fill phyllo lined pie dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

After pie has baked for 30 minutes remove it from the oven, and gently rotate halfway. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover with the edges with foil.

Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until edges of custard are set and center still has movement to it. *DON’T BAKE UNTIL SOLID* 

Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Optional Toppings include Ice Cream, Fresh Fruit, Passion Fruit, ohh so much….

NOTE …