Let’s Make a “Date” for Pie!

 

Okay, so who doesn’t love pie? My husband and I have great debates over which pie is the best. He really likes fruit pies and his favorite is strawberry-rhubarb. On the other hand, I am more of a cream pie lover. Ah, clearly we have no lives or the topic of the best pie would not even make most peoples lists of something worthy of discussion. Anyway, I digress.

So I saw this contest on-line, where a company called “Made in Nature” would send you a pack of dates for free and all you would need to do is use them in a recipe. That’s right, no money and dates for free. I guess they just want people to try their product and I figure, dates for free.…. Sign me up! Anyway, now for the real challenge. What to make? I haven’t really worked much with dates but I’ve eaten them wrapped in bacon and stuffed with bleu cheese. They have a sweet, intense flavor so I figured I would need to pair them with a more subtle flavor to dissipate some of the intensity. So I decided to use nuts. I really like walnuts but I love pecans so I decided to use both. Okay that’s all well and good but still too intense. So how about flaky layers of phyllo with a walnut, pecan and date layers and a sweet balsamic citrus syrup to seal all those wonderful layers! Oh my, my, that was as easy as pie!

 

Phyllo Date and Nut Pie with a Citrus Balsamic Glaze

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup salted pecans, chopped
½ cup chopped Made in Nature Dates
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 package (16 ounces, 14-inch x 9-inch sheet size) frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup butter, melted

Syrup

½ cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the nuts, dates, brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.

Unroll phyllo dough; keep covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Layer eight sheets of phyllo in prepared pan, brushing each layer with butter and rotating sheets to cover the pie plate. Let edges of dough hang over sides. Sprinkle a third of the nut mixture onto the bottom. Layer another four sheets of phyllo and butter. Sprinkle with a third of the nut mixture. Repeat with four more sheets and butter and final nut and date mixture. Top with an additional six sheets of phyllo and butter. Fold ends of phyllo up over top of pie to form edges; brush with butter.

Using a sharp knife, score pie. (Cut into eight wedges.)

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

While pie is baking, combine the sugar, water and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla, lemon juice and vinegar. Cool slightly and pour over warm pie. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.