Vegan Vanilla Custard Phyllo Pie

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grab a 23cm (9-inch) pie dish and set it aside - we'll be filling this with layers of flaky goodness soon!
2. First, let's prep our phyllo dough. Melt the vegan butter and have a pastry brush ready. Take one sheet of phyllo and brush it lightly with melted butter. Layer another sheet on top and repeat until you've used 3 sheets. Don't worry if they tear a bit - that's part of phyllo's charm!
3. Carefully lift your buttered phyllo stack and place it in the pie dish. Gently press it down into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess overhang or fold it over to create a rustic edge. Pop this in the oven for about 10 minutes until it's just starting to turn golden. Then set it aside to cool while we make the filling.
4. In a large saucepan, whisk together the oat milk, vegan yoghurt, vanilla pudding powder, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla sugar. Make sure there are no lumps - nobody wants a lumpy custard!
5. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly. You'll need to channel your inner chef here - keep whisking until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Once it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, take it off the heat.
6. Give your custard a final whisk and then pour it into your pre-baked phyllo crust. Smooth out the top with a spatula - make it as swirly or as smooth as you like! Cover with 2 sheets of phyllo and brush with vegan sour cream.
7. Pop the pie back in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. You're looking for the custard to be set (it should jiggle only slightly when you gently shake the dish) and the phyllo edges to be a beautiful golden brown.
8. Once it's done, take it out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. I know it's tempting, but resist diving in right away! The custard needs time to set properly.
9. Once it's cooled to room temperature, pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can wait that long. This helps the custard set to the perfect sliceable consistency.
10. When you're ready to serve, you can dust the top with a little powdered sugar if you're feeling fancy. Slice and serve chilled - each bite is a perfect balance of crispy and creamy!
11. Store any leftovers (if there are any!) in the fridge. They'll keep for up to 3 days, but the phyllo might lose some of its crispness over time. Not that that's ever stopped me from enjoying a slice for breakfast...