Ingredients
1 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons honey, preferably pine (see the Guide)
Coarse salt, to taste
1 cup honey, preferably pine (see the Guide)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
4 cups whole milk
1 strip lemon zest
4 strips lemon zest
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup semolina flour (see the Guide)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 sheets phyllo dough (each 17 by 12 inches; see the Guide), thawed if frozen
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling
1 cup honey, preferably pine
2 tablespoons water
1 strip lemon zest
Preparation
Make the honeyed pine nuts: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine nuts and honey in a small bowl. Spread in a single layer on a Silpat-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes total. Season with salt. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break honeyed nuts into 1/4-inch pieces with your fingers. (Nut pieces can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.)
Make the tart: Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Bring milk, lemon zest, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove lemon zest. Add semolina flour in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour 1/3 of the semolina mixture into the eggs in a slow, steady stream, whisking slowly and constantly. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan with remaining semolina mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool, uncovered, until ready to use.
Stir together cinnamon with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Melt remaining 2 sticks butter in a small saucepan. Using a pastry brush, coat a 9-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter.
Place phyllo on work surface, and cover with a damp cloth. Place 1 phyllo sheet in the pan, with 1 corner of the sheet in the center. Press sheet gently against the pan, letting overhang drape over the edge. Repeat with 2 more sheets, overlapping them so the pan is completely covered and overhang extends from all edges. Brush generously with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Repeat 2 more times, using 6 more sheets, brushing each layer with butter and sprinkling each layer with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar.
Pour cooled custard into phyllo-lined pan. Fold 1 sheet of overhang over custard, and brush with butter. Repeat with remaining overhang, working 1 sheet at a time. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar over the top.
Brush butter on top of each of the remaining 6 phyllo sheets. Gently crumple each sheet, and arrange it evenly over the cake to cover. Pierce cake all over with a skewer. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully remove sides of pan. Let stand until just warm, 45 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: Bring honey, water, and lemon zest to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring once or twice, until mixture is runny, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until just warm. Remove zest when ready to use. (Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month; reheat over medium heat until warm.)
Sprinkle nuts and confectioners’ sugar on top of cake. Cut into slices, and divide among serving plates. Serve warm with a drizzle of syrup.
