Milk Pie

Ingredients

• Filling
• 7 eggs
• 230 gr. caster sugar
• 100 gr. semolina
• 850 ml creamy milk
• 1 vanilia pod, or 3-4 drops vanilia essence
• 30 gr. unsalted butter

Pastry

• 1500 gr. fyllo pastry
• 120 gr. unsalted butter, melted

Syrup

• 150 ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick, or some lemon peel
• 170 gr. caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Serves 8

o Bring the milk with the vanilla pod to the boil gently, (If you are using vanilla essence do not add it yet).
o Withdraw from the heat, take the vanilla pod out and gradually add the semolina to the milk while stirring continuously with a wooden spatula.
o Return to a gentle heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened.
o Take off the heat, mix in the butter and let it cool for 10 minutes.
o Beat the eggs with the sugar until they get pale and fluffy and gradually add to the cooled mixture while stirring.
o If using vanilia essence add it at this stage.
o Return to a gentle heat for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, then withdraw from the heat.
o While working with the pastry, stir the mixture occasionally to prevent a crust from forming on top.
o Butter a roasting dish approximately 39 x 28 x 20 cm.
o Prepare the fyllo pastry and fill in the typical fyllo-pastry way (a couple of layers of fyllo well oiled, some stuffing, some more layers well oiled, more stuffing, etc.)
o Bake in a preheated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C, for 45 minutes until pale golden.
o Take out and cool for 10 minutes while you make the syrup.
o Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the aromatics and lemon juice and boil gently for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
o Let the syrup stand for 5 minutes, then remove the aromatics and slowly pour all over the galaktoboureko.
o Once the syrup has been absorbed, cut and serve (if you can wait that much!)
o You may, if you like, replace the vanilla with cinnamon and nutmeg powder.
o Galaktoboureko is at its best eaten fresh, preferably when it is still warm, but is still good the next day. No need to keep it in a refrigerator unless the weather is particularly hot.