Filo Pastry Flower filled with Rose Petal Custard and Strawberries

This is a really scrumptious dessert - even though I say it myself! The flowers are a real talking point with guests - both the filo and the roses! 

If you don't want to spend the time making the pastry flowers, just place the pastry into  an oblong flan dish and bake as one long pastry case. Then fill and decorate.

If you prefer a stronger rose flavour you can add a few drops of rose water to the custard.

I like to add a couple of rose geranium leaves to the heated milk with the rose petals, this gives a slightly more rose/lemon flavour. 

The beauty of it is you can experiment with the depth of flavours you and your family prefer. 

Makes 6

You’ll need a 6 hole muffin tin

Ingredients

I packet ready made filo pastry

4oz melted butter (I used goat’s butter)

¾ pint milk (I used almond milk)

2 ¼ - 3 oz sugar

¼ tsp vanilla essence

3 tbs cornfour

3 egg yolks

Grated zest of ¼ lemon

5 cups scented rose petals – with the green parts cut off and wiped clean

1 punnet strawberries about 18 - 20 strawberries

Method

1. Unroll the filo pastry and cut it into 6 squares

2. Brush the top layer of pastry with melted butter

3. Arrange these top squares in the bottom of the muffin tin spaces

4. Brush the next layer of filo pasty and place these on top of the first squares – with the corners next to each other as in the picture

5. Continue brushing each layer and placing the squares into the tin until they are finished and you have a flower shape in each well.

6. Place in the oven at 180° Fan, 200°C, Gas 6 for about 8 minutes until golden brown

7. Remove and leave to cool

The rose custard:

1. Bring the milk almost to the boil, remove from the heat, mix in the rose petals and leave to infuse for 20mins – half an hour 

2. Strain into a sieve discarding the petals and keeping the milk

3. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour together until light and creamy

4. Gradually add the milk stirring continuously until smoothly blended in

5. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring until thickened, simmer and stir for about a minute

6. Stir in the vanilla essence and lemon zest.

7. Leave to cool

Assembling the flower

1. Remove the filo flowers from the tin

2. Place on a plate

3. Fill each one with rose custard

4. Place in serving dishes and sprinkle with sieved icing sugar

Decorate with strawberries and a rose petal or edible flower (I used a flower from the scented geranium Rose Attar)