Have you ever baked with filo (phyllo/fillo) dough? It is paper-thin flour dough that comes in sheets and is used for creating desserts and savoury dishes by layering the dough, usually brushed with melted butter, and then adding a filling in between the layers or folding or rolling the layers over the filling. Filo can be made at home but it is rather difficult and since it is now readily available at the supermarket, buying it commercially made is the easiest way to add this wonderfully thin and crispy pastry to your repertoire. It is very versatile and once you get the hang of working with it, it is an easy way to make show-stopping recipes! It is easy to store a box of filo sheets in the freezer and then thaw it overnight or for 4 hours on the counter before using it. While working with the dough, which is quite delicate and tears easily, it is best to keep the filo covered with a damp cloth as you prepare each layer.
I absolutely adore baklava, which is a super-sweet pastry of layers of filo filled with nuts and honey and filo dessert cups filled with fruit and cream or baked apples are also delicious. One of the easiest recipes I have using filo is Apple Srudel with Filo Dough - it is super simple to make and so scrumptious! I will share the recipe with you next week. In the meantime, look for a box of filo/phyllo/fillo pastry in the freezer section of your grocery store (usually where the frozen pie crusts are located) and grab some tart Granny Smith apples (about a pound of them), and you'll be all ready to make an easy apple strudel with me!
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