Greek Custard Pie With Syrup (Galaktoboureko)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour & 20 minutes
Servings: 16 pieces

Galaktoboureko is a beloved Greek dessert that features delicate layers of phyllo pastry enveloping a luscious custard filling. Once baked, it’s generously drenched in a sweet syrup that adds to its charm. The flavor is subtly rich and sweet, with a delightful hint of cinnamon. The custard boasts a smooth and creamy texture, perfectly complemented by the crispy phyllo layers that cradle it on both the top and bottom.

Ingredients:

For The Syrup:

700 grams sugar
500 ml water
1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
1 lemon peel
2 stick of cinnamon

For The Custard Filling:

1250 ml milk
200 grams sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 medium-sized eggs
70 grams fine semolina for best results
70 grams coarse semolina
50 grams butter

For The Pie:

180 grams butter melted
450 grams phyllo pastry sheets

Directions:

Thaw filo in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours. Then leave it at room temperature within for 30 minutes before using.

Make The Syrup:

Add all of the ingredients for the syrup to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook the syrup for 6-7 minutes until thickened. Do not stir the syrup let the sugar dissolve on its own.
Set aside to cool.

Make The Custard Filling:

Add both types of semolina to a bowl and set aside.
Add the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a cooking pot and heat over medium-high heat.
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs with a whisk. Once the milk mixture gets steamy hot gradually ladle half of it into the eggs while whisking the eggs constantly.
Transfer the mixture back to the pot. Drop the heat to medium. Give it a minute to reach a steamy hot temperature again.
Gradually mix in the semolina. Continue stirring with the whisk until cream starts to bubble.
Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir in the butter.

For The Pie:

Preheat oven to 170°C/ 340°F.
Lay open the stack of phyllo on your working surface. And cover it with a tea towel so it won't air-dry.
Brush a 12-inch (30 cm) round baking pan with some melted butter.
Add 4 phyllo sheets (one at a time) in the pan creating a cross shape (half of the sheets will be hanging out of the pan) grease the surface of every 2 filo with melted butter.
Add 2 more phyllo sheets folded to fit in the pan (fold a bit on the sides to fit) brushing between each filo with butter.
Add the cream and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Add 2 filo sheets folded on top of the cream (again brush each filo with butter).
Overlap the filo that hangs out of the pan (it's okay if it's uneven and ruffled). Don't forget to brush with butter!
Add the remaining filo sheets ruffled on top to create a crunchy topping.
Gently score the top with a knife and divide the Galaktoboureko into pieces.
Bake for about 50 minutes until deep golden, honey-brown on top and crunchy.
Slowly ladle the cold syrup over the Galaktoboureko right as you get it out of the oven.
Allow to cool inside the oven with the oven door open.
When it gets to room temperature you can cut and serve or refrigerate for 4-6 hours and enjoy it cold!

Tips & Notes:

Make the syrup one day ahead. Bring to a boil for one minute the next day and then allow to cool again. This is a little trick that helps thicken the syrup to perfection!
Use good quality butter. it is very important for this recipe!
Ruffle that phyllo! It's what makes it extra crunchy.
Ladle the syrup slowly over the pie giving it a few seconds time to absorb it.
Allow the phyllo custard pie to cool completely before refrigerating.
The syrup needs to be at room temperature when added to the Galaktoboureko. So you need to make the syrup first and let it cool before making the pie.
Bake at the lowest rack of the oven so it won't color too quickly on top.
Bake long and slow until very crispy on top. If your oven is too strong drop down the temperature 10 degrees or so.
Don't overcook the cream on the stovetop as it's going to get baked in the oven as well. Cook it just until it thickens.
Limit the dairy: This is a very dairy rich dessert, which some people may have a hard time digesting. You can easily substitute lactose-free milk if that helps, and perhaps you can even substitute the butter for margarine…but I’ve never actually tried that. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Serving: You can serve Galaktoboureko at room temperature or cold from the fridge. This dessert has it all so you don't need anything to serve it with. It's a very filling dessert so unless you can eat like a Greek, you may want to skip serving it after dinner and enjoy it with a cup of coffee instead!
Storing: Galaktoboureko is a perfect dessert for a crowd because one recipe will feed many sweet-teeth (we’ve decided that’s a word). If you are not making this for a gang of people, that’s okay too. Galaktoboureko will keep in the fridge for several days. Some people prefer to eat it cold, straight from the refrigerator, others at room temperature, and others like it warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave. To store it, allow it to cool fully or overnight, before placing it in the fridge, where it will keep fresh (with the help of the excess syrup) for 4-5 days.