Recipe Galaktoboureko (Lemon scented semolina custard baked in phylo)

Ingredients

Syrup
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar,
1/4 lemon
Simmer for 10-15 min; squeeze the lemon into the syrup and discard; filter and reserve.

Custard
6 cups milk
200 g semolina flour,
fine 500 g sugar
5 whole eggs u 3/4 lemon,
zested u 1/2 ts vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Assembly
16 sheets of thick, commercial phyllo dough thoroughly thawed in the fridge if purchased frozen.
1 cup unsalted butter about.
Bring milk, lemon zest and salt to a boil; reserve • Whip eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract to a ribbon • Temper hot milk into egg mixture • Return to stove and cook over medium a couple of minutes; do not boil else it will curd! • Slowly whisk in semolina flour and continue to stir • Cook over low heat until thick (about 3-4 minutes) and remove from heat • Pour custard into the mixer and mix with the whisk on medium/low speed for 20 minutes • The mixture is ready to be stored when it has thoroughly cooled.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush with butter the bottom of an 18 by 12 inch deep baking dish Layer one by one, 8 sheets of phyllo, leaving the edges hanging over the sides of the pan. Brush each sheet generously with butter.

Pour the custard in the pan.
Cut the remaining 8 sheets of phyllo about the size of the pan and brush each sheet with clarified butter. Place the buttered sheets one by one on top of the filling and roll the hanging bottom sheets up to seal the cake.

Cut in a criss-cross pattern the surface of the dough with a knife tip (not too deep); it will help to cut it and allow the syrup to penetrate.

Bake for 45min to an hour till the top is golden and the custard set.
Pour the syrup on top while hot….