Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Phyllo Pie) from Eleni Livitsanou in Lefkada

500 gr. phyllo pastry

for the filling:

1 cup of semolina

1,5 cups sugar

700 ml. milk

300 ml fresh cream

4 eggs

3 tsp butter (kerrygold)

2 tsp vanilla extract

lemon peel

1 block of butter melted for brushing the phyllo

for the syrup:

700 gr sugar

400 gr water

2 sp glucose syrup

peel of 1 lemon

1 tsp lemon juice

put all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 4 minutes (4 minutes from the exact moment of boiling) and remove from the heat letting the syrup to cool down.

Brush butter on the base of the dish (22 to 30 cm approx.) and on the sides.

Place 5 sheets of phyllo brushing butter every time (brush it also around the sides of the dish).

Prepare the filling now: in a deep saucepan mix the milk, the fresh cream, the semolina, the sugar, the vanilla, and the lemon rind in low heat stirring continuously.

In a bowl separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the whites with the mixer until thick. In another bowl gently beat the egg yolks.

Then mix the whites with the egg yolks gently and pour slowly in the saucepan that is in low heat. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Add the 3 spoons of butter continuously stirring towards the centre of the saucepan and when the custard begins to thicken and become velvety, remove from the heat.

Pour the custard in the dish where you have placed the phyllo. Cover with the remaining phyllo pastry brushing every phyllo sheet with butter. The phyllos from the sides, fold them on the bottom. With a sharp knife mark the top of the phyllo gently in pieces (do not cut, just mark it with the edge of the knife).

On top pour the remaining butter and sprinkle plenty of water. Put the galaktoboureko in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for an hour until golden. When out of the oven and while still hot take spoons of the cooled syrup and gently pour them over the pie. 

Let it cool a bit and do not cover the dish.

serve with a glass of cold water.

mmmmmmmmmmmm