Galaktoboureko Recipe: Greek Semolina Custard Pie with Filo

Galaktoboureko is a Greek pie of crisp filo around a creamy semolina, milk and egg custard, soaked in lemon syrup. It is one of the most popular sweets in Greek bakeries.

Serves: 12 pieces | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 50 min plus cooling

Ingredients

• 1 litre full-fat milk
• 150 g sugar
• 130 g fine semolina
• 4 eggs
• 60 g butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 12 sheets filo pastry
• 150 g melted butter for the filo
• 250 g sugar for the syrup
• 200 ml water
• 1 strip of lemon peel and 1 cinnamon stick

Method

1. Boil the sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon for 5 minutes to make a syrup, then let it cool completely.
2. Warm the milk and sugar, sprinkle in the semolina while stirring and stir until thick. Take off the heat, stir in the butter, vanilla and lemon zest and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs and stir them into the lukewarm custard.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking dish with 6 sheets of filo, brushing each with melted butter.
5. Pour in the custard and cover with 6 more buttered sheets. Score the top layers into portions.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden. Pour the cold syrup over the hot pie straight away and let it cool for at least 2 hours.

Tips

• Always cold syrup on a hot pie, or the other way round. That keeps the pastry crisp.
• Let the custard cool a little before adding the eggs, or they will scramble.

Products from Bakaliko

• Myloi Ag. Georgiou - Fine Semolina (Simigdali Psilo) 500 g
• Havelas - Handmade Greek Fillo 750 g
• Bakaliko Line - Galaktoboureko Mini 500 g (ready-made)

More Greek recipes

• Greek baklava with walnuts and honey
• Greek loukoumades (honey doughnuts)

Photo: Badseed, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.