Greek Custard/Galatoboureko

George's Name Day was April 24th. We celebrated by me making his all time favorite Greek custard pie. Every time we have go to Greece, he asks his Aunt Eleni to make this. I got the base of this recipe from a Greek cookbook, but I added and tweaked A LOT. Like most of the Greek recipes, everything here is from scratch, and it requires a bit of time in the kitchen. This got rave reviews from my in laws, and brother in law Pete, too. Most importantly, George loved it. :)

GALATOBOUREKO
8 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup semolina (publix has it)
1/2 stick butter, room temp
10 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 box phillo dough pastry
1 stick melted butter

SPICE SYRUP
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp orange extract

In a large saucepan, heat the milk and sugar. When warm, add semolina slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens and is smooth. Approximately 10 mins. Be sure to stir constantly or the semolina will form lumps.

Blend 1/2 stick butter into mixture with spoon. Remove from heat once butter had incorporated, and blend in vanilla and orange extracts.

When the mixture has cooled, blend in eggs. Be sure mixture is cooled or the eggs will cook. Do not rush this step.

Butter a 13x9 baking pan. Place half (about 10 sheets) of phillo pastry in pan, one at a time, making sure to brush each layer of sheets with melted butter. Also, be sure and cover even the sides of the pan with pastry.

Pour in custard mixture. Top with the remaining phillo sheets, again brushing each with butter.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour and 15 mins, or until golden brown.

While pastry is baking, prepare Spice Syrup. Bring water to a boil, add sugar and cinnamon stick. Allow to simmer for 5 mins. Remove from heat and add extracts. Allow to cool.

Remove from oven, and immediately cut into squares, and pour cooled spice syrup over the pastry. The syrup will saturate the phillo and custard.

Allow to cool a bit, then enjoy warm. This is also delicious the next morning after being refrigerated over night. George loves to eat it cold.

Here is what the semolina looks like.

Cooked semolina, cooling spice syrup, and  melted butter.

Phillo layers

Custard in and final layers of phillo brushed with butter.

Hot out of the oven with spice syrup poured over.

Have some?