Traditionally, this Greek custard dessert was made before the Orthodox Great Lent and during Easter, probably because goat and sheep milk is abundant this time of the year. However, nowadays this type of custard pie is enjoyed any time of the year.
This galaktoboureko recipe includes white chocolate in the filling, adding a custardy richness. Traditional recipes don’t use it, so you can omit it if you want to stay true to the authentic dessert. However, I definitely recommend trying it —many say it’s the best galaktoboureko they’ve had!
Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Recommended baking dishes:
-Rectangular 10×13.5 inches (25×35 cm)
-Rectangular 9×13 inches (23×33 cm)
-Round cake pan 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter
Ingredients
For the semolina custard cream:
-5 cups (1200 g) whole milk
-½ teaspoon salt
-⅔ cup (120 g) fine semolina
-1 lemon the zest
-1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract (or 1 capsule vanillin per Tablespoon of extract.)
-4.4 ounce (125 g) white chocolate chopped (optional)
-3 medium eggs
-½ cup (100 g) white sugar
For the phyllo:
-1 package (450 g) phyllo pastry
-1 cup (220 g) clarified butter or ghee
For the syrup:
-2 cups (400 g) white sugar
-1 ¼ cups (300 g) water
-1 cinnamon stick
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
1. Transfer the milk to a large pot and add the salt and the semolina while stirring with a whisk. Cook on the stove, over medium heat, stirring constantly until the semolina mixture boils. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the lemon zest, the vanilla and the white chocolate and whisk to combine. Smell the custard and add more lemon zest or vanilla if needed, according to your preference.
3. Transfer the eggs and the sugar to a medium bowl and whisk until frothy (you can also use a hand mixer for this). Whisking constantly, add the egg mixture to the semolina mixture and stir until combined. Cover with a lid and refrigerate until cold.
4. Brush the baking pan with the melted butter and cover it with the two thirds of the phyllo sheets, in a way that the sheets overlap the dish. Brush each sheet of the phyllo pastry with melted butter before covering it with the next sheet.
5. Pour the semolina cream filling over the sheets of phyllo dough.
Also preheat your oven (top and bottom heat) at 350°F (175°C). If you only have a fan oven reduce temperature to 320°F (160°C).
6. Fold the overlapping sheets over the filling, brushing each sheet with butter. Then, add the remaining sheets of phyllo and tuck any edges between the galaktoboureko and the baking pan.
7. Gently score the surface of the galaktoboureko with a sharp knife, making sure that the knife doesn’t cut all the way through the bottom of the pan (you only want to cut the top layers of phyllo). Sprinkle the surface with a bit of water (1-2 tablespoons, optional) and bake at the bottom zone of your oven, until golden brown, about 60-70 minutes.
8. While the galaktoboureko is baking, transfer the sugar, the water and the cinnamon stick to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the lemon juice, stir well and set aside to cool.
9. Take the galaktoboureko out of the oven and score with a knife following your initial cuts. Pour the syrup over the hot dessert. Let it cool completely before serving (the filling will seep out if you serve it warm).
