Recipe of the week. Galaktoboureko

Galaktoboureko (Custard pie)

This dessert is delicious hot or cold - I prefer it cold. It is very sweet and really hits the spot when nothing other than sweet and creamy will do. It is drenched in a vanilla and lemon sugar syrup. It is not as complicated as you might think, this is my tried and tested recipe, so give it a go!

Ingredients

for the pie:

12 ready made sheets of Fyllo pastry  ( fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup butter

4 glasses of milk ( water glass size)

1 glass fine semolina

6 beaten eggs

vanilla - powdered or drops are fine, or you could use vanilla sugar.

for the sugar syrup:
4 glasses of sugar
2 glasses water
peel of 1/2 lemon - more if you wish
juice of half a lemon
vanilla

Method:

Heat the sugar and milk in a saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved add the semolina a little at a time, stirring constantly. remove from the heat before it completely thickens, remove from the heat  and let the boiling cease, then add the vanilla and the eggs a little at a time  ( I usually use a balloon whisk but a spoon is fine)

Coat 6 sheets of pastry on both sides with melted butter and place in the bottom of your baking dish - deal with one at a time!  ( I use a tin the size of the sheets to make it easy! but you can cut the sheets if you are making a smaller one or a round one and adjust the ingredients) Then spread the mixture over. cover with the other 6 sheets of buttered pastry, Cut squares, diamonds or triangles into the top sheet to make cutting easier later. (When dealing with fyllo pastry keep it covered with a damp cloth as it dries out quickly)

Bake at 180- 200 degrees, depending on your oven, for about 30 minutes

To make the syrup:

When the pie is nearly ready prepare the syrup

Place the sugar, water, lemon peel a, vanilla and lemon juice in a saucepan and boil for about 10 minutes. Remove the peel and pour the hot syrup over the cooked pie

Leave to cool, cut and serve