Greek Custard With Phyllo Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Pour milk into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the semolina, cornstarch, 1 cup sugar and salt so there are no cornstarch clumps. When milk comes to a boil, gradually add the semolina mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. Remove from heat, and set aside. Keep warm.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, and whip until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
• Fold the whipped eggs into the hot semolina mixture. Partially cover the pan, and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish, and layer 7 sheets of phyllo into the pan, brushing each one with butter as you lay it in. Pour the custard into the pan over the phyllo, and cover with the remaining 5 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you lay it down.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top crust is crisp and the custard filling has set. In a small saucepan, stir together the remaining cup of sugar and water. Bring to a boil. When the Galaktoboureko comes out of the oven, spoon the hot sugar syrup over the top, particularly the edges. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Scald milk in a large saucepan; stir in 4 tablespoons butter and sugar. Gradually add farina, stirring constantly, and bring mixture slowly to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat eggs in a bowl until they are fluffy and a light yellow. Slowly stir hot farina mixture into egg mixture. Add vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with 1 sheet of phyllo with some of it hanging over the edge of the pan. Brush with butter. Be sure to keep unused phyllo pastry covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Layer 5 more sheets of buttered phyllo in the pan so that bottom and sides are completely covered.
• Pour in cooled custard.
• Cover with 1 sheet of phyllo; brush with butter. Layer 5 more individually buttered sheets of phyllo on top, and fold in overhang.
• With a sharp knife, score through top layers of phyllo, marking off 2 1/4-inch squares or diamond shapes. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

Steps:

• Semolina Custard
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk 5 cups of milk with the sugar and bring almost to a boil. Whisk in the semolina. Bring to a boil, whisking, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until incorporated. Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla, the remaining 1 cup of milk, and the eggs, mixing thoroughly. Cool, cover with plastic or waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Syrup
• Place the sugar, cinnamon, water, zest, and juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the syrup thickens and coats a spoon. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• To Assemble
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
• In a small bowl, mix together the almonds, bread crumbs, and sugar. Line the baking pan with 8 sheets of phyllo, one sheet at a time (each sheet should overlap its neighbors by an inch or so). Brush each sheet with butter and sprinkle lightly with the almond mixture. The pastry edges should overlap the entire perimeter of the pan. Pour in the cooled custard, spreading evenly, and fold the pastry edges over the custard.
• Arrange 8 phyllo sheets over the top of the custard, leaf by leaf, brushing with butter and sprinkling with almond mixture as before. Trim the edges to 1 inch and fold them inward, tucking them down inside the pan. Brush the top with butter and score diagonally with the tip of a sharp knife in two directions, to make diamond-shaped slits in the pastry. Sprinkle the top with water (about 3 tablespoons) and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325°F and bake 45 more minutes.
• When the top is golden brown and flaky, remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the pastry. Let the custard set until cool, then cut into pieces and serve.
• Semolina
• Semolina is durum wheat that is more coarsely ground than other flours. It is the primary ingredient in the best pasta and in couscous, and it's also popular as porridge. It gives cakes a heartier, more substantial texture.