This amazing recipe is an invention created as part of our family “Cast Iron Chef Cook Off.” Delicious layers of light phyllo pastry are sprinkled with a mixture of pecans, milk chocolate chips and toffee bits. The entire pastry is topped with a delicious cream cheese and toffee layer. Add a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top and you are all set.
This invention began as a list of randomly-selected ingredients that one of our Cast Iron Chef teams selected for an all-male cooking competition at one of our family reunions. The ingredients this team selected included phyllo dough, whipping cream, chocolate chips, pecans, sweetened condensed milk, Oreo cookies, and pistachio pudding. Since contest rules allowed them to eliminate at least one of their chosen ingredients, they focused on keeping it simple. They pitched the pudding and fed the Oreos to the spectators.
Now it was time to get down to business:
Cook Off Collaboration. The meeting of the minds has to decide what to do with a handful of random ingredients. Failure is not an option.
Layer 1: Unfold the Phyllo
Begin by carefully unfolding a package of phyllo pastry and separate four sheets of pastry. Brush each with melted butter, and then layer in a 9×13 baking pan, or do like these men did, and use a Dutch oven.
Layer 2: Work on Your Knife Skills – Pecan Streusel Coming Up
Samuel, age 11 had an opportunity to attend a cooking class for kids during his summer break, and his newly-learned knife skills came in handy when he drew the assignment to chop pecans for the dessert.
Once the pecans were chopped to his liking, Sam added a handful (1/3 cup) of milk chocolate chips and chopped those in together with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup of butter. Divide this mixture in half, and spread half over your phyllo pastry, reserving the other half for a second layer later.
Layer 3: More Phyllo Please
Brush melted butter over another 4-5 sheets of phyllo pastry. Layer on top of the nut mixture.
Layer 4: Toffee and Chocolate
The next layer is simple. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of toffee chips, and then sprinkle another 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips over that.
Layer 5: And Still More Phyllo
Top with yet another layer of 4-5 sheets of phyllo pastry.
Layer 6: More Pecan Streusel
Next comes a second layer of your remaining chocolate/pecan/sugar/butter mixture.
Layer 7: Phyllo…Again
Yup. Another layer of phyllo
Layer 8: Toffee and Chocolate
You know the drill. Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of toffee chips.
Layer 9: Phyllo
Top with yet another layer of phyllo.
Layer 10: Cream Cheese Layer
Next, blend 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/2 of a can of sweetened condensed milk. When this is well-mixed, stir in 1/3 cup toffee bits. Spread the mixture carefully over the top of the last layer of phyllo pastry.
Layer 11: Phyllo…the Last Layer
Add one final layer of Phyllo
Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for about 30 min. or until golden.
And for the finishing touch:
Remove from oven, cool slightly, and then top each serving with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Determined not to be foiled by a lack of proper equipment, Hal tries his luck at whipping cream by hand.
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