Greek custard pastries

Recipe~Finder

Cooking time: More than 1 hour

Cuisine: Greek

Healthy options: Healthy; Nut free; Vegetarian

Serves: 10 or more

Type: Family; Kids; Easy; Cake

Tools

Kitchen friendly view

Photography: Brett Stevens

By Suzanne Gibbs

Ingredients

4 ¾ cups (1.2L) milk
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
½ cup (80g) fine semolina
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
16 sheets filo pastry
50g unsalted butter, melted
Syrup
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation method

1. Heat milk, sugar and semolina in a heavy-based saucepan on medium. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap and cool. When mixture reaches room temperature, whisk in egg and vanilla.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Grease a 33cm x 22cm x 5cm baking pan. Layer eight sheets of filo pastry in prepared pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Pour over custard and top with remaining filo pastry, brushing each sheet with butter. Score twelve squares through top three sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, until crisp and golden.

3. Meanwhile, to make syrup place all ingredients with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Heat on medium for 2 minutes, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and cook for 8 minutes, until syrupy. Slowly pour over cooled pastry, discarding cloves and cinnamon. Serve at room temperature.

Tip: Galaktoboureko is the Greek name for this traditional sweet pastry.

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