Note: If the fillo is frozen, defrost the pastry overnight in the fridge.

Apple pie filling:

• Bring verjuice to boil in small pot or in a microwave safe 2 litre jug (see notes). Add sultanas and set aside allowing the raisins to plump up.
• Juice lemon and set aside.
• Peel, quarter, core and slice apples (about 5-7mm thick). Add to large wide bottomed pot as you go.
• Sprinkle lemon juice over apples as you work to prevent browning.
• Mix in brown sugar and set pot aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix combine white sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and salt.
• Once the sultanas have plumped up, drain well and reserve verjuice liquid. Set sultanas aside.
• In a small pan boil the verjuice until reduced to a thick syrup and set aside to cool. Keep an eye on it as it boils down, it can quickly get too thick and burn.
• Set apple mixture over a medium heat and sprinkle over flour mixture, stirring well after each addition.
• Cook apples and stir continuously until the apple juices have thickened and start to catch on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from heat and add sultanas, verjuice syrup, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
• Cool filling and refrigerate until needed.

Apple fillo rosettes and first bake:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced (200°C not fan forced).
• Melt 250g butter in microwave our on stove top. If you wish to clarify the butter, gently pour off the clear butter fat, leaving the white milk solids behind. Set aside in a bowl.
• Unroll the fillo pastry sheets and cover with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.
• Working on the kitchen bench, place one fillo sheet lengthwise in front of you and use a pastry brush to brush thoroughly with melted butter (refer to the video in the blog if in doubt about the steps that follow).
• Top with a second fillo sheet and brush with butter again.
• Fold the two fillo sheets in half lengthwise. This gives you four layers of fillo with a fold along one long side and open fillo petals along the other side.
• Take ½ cup of apple pie filling and run the filling in a thin line down the centre of the fillo.
• Fold in half lengthwise over the filling making sure the long edges meet. Gently smooth the sheets up against the line of pie filling.
• You should end up with one side of the long roll creating a fold holding in the apple filling and with the extra fillo layers lying flat.
• Brush the finished fillo pastry roll with butter.
• Loosely roll up the filled pastry to form a rosette.
• Hold the rosette in one hand, with the apple filling side in the palm of your hand and with the fillo petals standing upright. Brush the rosette all around with butter. Then gently press the fillo petals down to form the top of the rosette.
• Place the rosette in a well buttered baking pan.
• Repeat 5 to 7 times making sure you leave 3 to 4cm between each rosette.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the fillo rosettes have turned a deep gold.
• Remove from oven and set aside until the vanilla custard is ready.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan forced (180°C if not fan forced).

Vanilla custard and second bake:

• While the fillo rosettes are baking make the vanilla custard.
• Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or electric hand beaters, beat the egg yolks and sugar. Start on low and increase the speed to medium high, until the egg mix is a pale yellow.
• Sift in the cornstarch and beat on medium until fully incorporated.
• Split the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise with a small paring knife and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife.
• Add the milk, cream, vanilla bean seeds and split vanilla bean pod to a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir the milk mixture constantly until it just comes to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean pod.
• Pour the hot milk mixture gradually over the egg mixture and beat on medium-low speed until it forms a smooth runny custard.
• Return the custard to the saucepan on medium heat and stir constantly until thickened. You want to achieve a thick custard that is still pourable but not runny.
• Strain the custard into a 1 litre pouring jug and set aside until the fillo rosettes come out of the oven.
• Whisk the custard briefly to distribute the vanilla seeds before pouring carefully between the rosettes in the baking dish. Be sure not to get the custard on the crisp tops of the fillo rosettes.
• The custard should come no more than halfway up the sides of the rosettes.
• Make sure you’ve reduced the oven temperature to 160°C fan forced (180°C not fan forced).
• Bake the spiced-apple and custard crinkle pie for about 10 minutes or until just set.
• Remove from the oven and sit on the bench for at least 15 minutes so the custard finishes setting.
• If using, grate some fresh nutmeg over the crinkle pie.
• Serve the pie warm just out of the oven or at room temperature (refrigerate any leftovers).