🇬🇷 Greece: Galaktoboureko

A personal recipe for a classic Greek dessert!

“Dear friends, I share with you my recipe for Galaktoboureko—a classic Greek dessert that has been a staple of Greek cuisine for centuries. This creamy semolina custard is wrapped in layers of buttery phyllo and drenched in aromatic syrup. This scrumptious dessert is never absent from a family’s holiday table, but can be enjoyed year round. I wish you and your loved ones a happy and joyous holiday season.”

-Alexandra Papadopoulou, Ambassador of Greece
For the full experience, play this traditional tune while prepping the recipe!

🇬🇷 Greece: Galaktoboureko—Traditional Greek Custard Pie with Syrup

Servings 12
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Pie

  • 4 ¼ cups milk
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 1 cup thin semolina flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 package Greek phyllo

Syrup

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • Zest of one lemon

Instructions

  • Warm up the milk over low heat.
  • Beat the eggs and sugar together, slowly adding the semolina flour.
  • Gradually, add the egg-semolina-sugar mixture to the warm milk, constantly stirring, over low heat.
  • Add vanilla extract.
  • Continue to stir until mixture becomes smooth and thick like custard.
  • Turn off heat and add half of the butter; the other half will be melted and used later to brush each separate phyllo sheet.
  • Grease the bottom of an 11×14” baking pan and lay down four phyllo sheets, brushing each one with melted butter.
  • Pour the mixture over the pastry sheets and laying the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each one individually with the remaining butter.
  • Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes or until set.
  • While the pie bakes, make the syrup by bringing to boil 2 cups of sugar, 1½ cups water and the zest of one lemon. Let boil for five minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
  • After taking the pie out of the oven, while the pie is still hot, pour the cooled syrup over it. Let it cool to room temperature and cut into pieces the size of your liking.

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