Brown Butter Crinkle Cake

Phyllo was one of those things that I pretty much ignored until I fell in love with it while experimenting and (fine, I’ll say it) perfecting my recipe for phyllo cups with cheese mousse. So when I noticed the general Internet experimenting with phyllo and dairy in other forms, I hopped right on that trend train. This is not overly sweet and is great to make ahead.

Directions

Prepare the Brown Butter Crinkle Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

2. Arrange phyllo dough in a baking dish: Taking two sheets of dough at a time, pinch the center, then twist your hand to form a flower shape. Once formed, use your hands to gently press it into a round shape. Arrange nine round flower shapes in a baking dish.

3. In a small pan over low heat, melt the butter and allow it to brown: all the water should bubble up and evaporate and the milk solids should be just beginning to smell nutty and turn brown. Immediately remove from heat (when in doubt, removing earlier is better than burned butter) and evenly pour over the phyllo. Bake for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. After 10 minutes, pour the egg mixture over the dough and bake until set, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the Lemon Cream

1. Beat the cream with pudding mix, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until stiff. Serve alongside the crinkle cake.

Tips: Phyllo dough is best defrosted in the refrigerator overnight and worked with at room temperature, but in a recipe where you don’t need to use them by the individual sheet, you can just defrost at room temperature.