Phyllo dough is somewhat of a nemesis. There was that silly little “I-thought-you-were-puff-pastry” incident on Valentine’s Day but my disdain for phyllo goes back much farther than that.

A few years ago, I saw a recipe online for baked brie with apricot jam and I got excited. I had just discovered brie and I loved it. Well, okay – I loved most of it. I’m just fine removing the sharpie-flavored rind. The recipe called for a wheel of brie, some phyllo dough, apricot jam, and toasted walnuts – sounded like a party to me! But good grief – I had no idea that I would be completely void of the grace required to work with phyllo. It seemed to literally dissolve and turn to powdery shreds in my bare hands. I finally managed to get it together enough to wrap the brie and bake it. It was crispy, light, and so not worth the effort.
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