Recipes curated especially for Destination readers by very special local chefs.

Chef Khalida, the co-founder of online bakery Fatafeet Bakehouse, has been obsessed with baking from a very young age – the alluring smell of baked goods fresh out of the oven, and the wonderful aromas of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and others. She derives inspiration from particular ingredients (usually natural sweeteners) around which she builds recipes, each one with a story behind it. With Fatafeet Bakehouse, she ensures every order is baked fresh, nothing goes to waste, and the recipes are original. “The whole point of baking is to make people happy. Knowing that customers order my pastries to celebrate their special events brings me lots of personal joy,” the Le Cordon Bleu alumnus says.

Instagram: fatafeetbakehouse

Recipe Name: Cinnamon Milk Pie

Chef Khalidah shares this recipe for Cinnamon Milk Pie, a contemporary pastry dish. It looks as amazing as it tastes; in the shape of a rosette, the light custard enveloped within the sheets of filo comes to life when dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Yield: 8-10 Servings
Total Preparation Time: 85  minutes (includes baking)

Ingredients:

4   tablespoons (56 grams) of melted butter
8   sheets of filo dough
1/8  teaspoon of cinnamon + more for dusting
1.5  cups (12 oz.) of whole milk
3     eggs
1/2 cup (99grams) of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting the pie

Directions:

– Preheat oven to 175°C.

– Brush a 10-inch or 9-inch springform cake pan with butter, then set aside.

– Get a sheet of filo, scrunch up into a cylinder, then into a circle. Place in the center of the pan, and repeat till the rest of the pan is covered.

– Using a pastry brush, brush the filo with remaining butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for about 25-30 minutes till pastry is golden.

– While the pie bakes, make a custard filling. Heat the milk until it comes to a boil.

– Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk sugar and eggs.

– Slowly add the hot milk to the sugar and egg mix, whisking as you go. Then add vanilla.

– Spoon the custard mix into the pie, and re-bake for another 25-30 minutes.

– Let the pie cool for 5 minutes, dust the top with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

– It’s best eaten warm, and you can store leftovers in the fridge to prevent the custard from going bad.