Recipe Detail Page

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Grease 8 sections of an extra-large muffin tin. Unroll thawed phyllo from package and remove half the sheets. Save remaining sheets for another use. Re-roll remaining half of pastry and using a serrated knife, cut roll into ½-inch (1-cm) slices. Gently toss phyllo with fingertips, separating like pasta. Divide the strands into 8 piles in the prepared tin, gently hollowing out centre to make a “nest” shape. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.

3. Bake the nests in centre of oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until pale golden. Allow to cool on rack on pan. (Can be made 1 day ahead and kept covered at room temperature.)

4. In large metal bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, sugar and lemon zest for about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the egg mixture constantly for about 2 minutes, or until eggs are foamy and slightly thickened; add one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again and add remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, until mixture is thickened, light in colour and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl, about 6 minutes.

5. Turn off heat and leave bowl over the water. Whisk in 1 piece of butter at a time; mixture will thicken as it cools. Let cool slightly.

6. Pour warm lemon filling evenly into prepared nests on baking sheet. Place under broiler, leaving the door ajar, just to brown tops, about 1 minute; let sit for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, berries and mint leaves if desired.