Galaktoboureko

Ingredients

• 8 sheets phyllo dough sheets
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 500 ml whole milk
• 60 g fine durum wheat semolina
• 250 g granulated sugar
• 2 pieces eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 piece untreated lemon
• 150 ml water
• 1 tbsp wildflower honey
• 1 piece cinnamon stick
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. Prepare the syrup by bringing the water, some of the sugar, the honey, a strip of lemon zest, a splash of lemon juice, and the cinnamon to a simmer; let it bubble gently until you get a lemony aroma and a slightly syrupy texture, then let it cool.
2. Heat the milk with the remaining sugar and the salt until steaming but not boiling, then gradually whisk in the semolina until the cream thickens and leaves a soft trail behind the whisk.
3. Off the heat, whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time, then add the vanilla and a little finely grated lemon zest; the cream should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to hold on a spoon.
4. Melt the butter, brush a home baking dish, then layer half the phyllo sheets, buttering them one by one; let the edges overhang so you can enclose the cream.
5. Pour the warm cream over the phyllo base, smooth it out without pressing down, then fold the edges inward to form a neat package.
6. Cover with the remaining sheets, again buttered one by one, tucking the edges down the sides; score the surface just to guide future slices without cutting into the cream.
7. Bake in a hot oven until the top is deeply golden, crispy, and the cream barely jiggles in the center.
8. Right out of the oven, slowly pour the cold syrup over the hot galaktoboureko in several additions; let it absorb until the pastry still crackles but the bottom is soft and fragrant.
9. Let cool slightly before slicing, so the cream firms up and the portions stay neat when serving.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

687 kcal

Protein

11.39 g

Carbohydrate

97.45 g

Fat

28.56 g

Fibre

2.16 g

Calcium

156.78 mg

Iron

1.33 mg

Magnesium

28.21 mg