Galaktoboureko

Ingredients

FOR THE SYRUP

• 125g brown sugar
• 125g granulated sugar
• 3 – 5 cloves
• 1 3″ cinnamon stick
• strip of peel from 1 large lemon
• 250ml water

FOR THE CUSTARD

• 125g semolina
• 1 litre of milk (2%)
• 4 large eggs
• 100g granulated sugar
• 80g butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp rosewater
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 box of phyllo pastry (about 454g)
• 1/2 cup melted butter (to brush in between the phyllo layers)

Method

1. Make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon stick, cloves, strip of lemon, and water. Place over medium heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Once done, remove from the heat and let cool completely.
2. Make the custard: In a large pot over medium heat, warm the milk. In the meantime, combine the semolina, sugar, and the eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Then add the grated lemon zest and whisk.
3. Temper the mixture by slowly adding a few ladles of the warmed milk to the semolina mixture, make sure to whisk constantly so you don’t scramble the eggs. Once done, pour that mixture into the rest of the large pot holding the warm milk, while continuing to whisk.
4. Switch from your whisk to a wooden spoon and keep stirring over a medium heat until the mixture thickens. If you see any lumps starting to form, switch back to the whisk until gone. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and rosewater.
5. Carefully remove the phyllo pastry from the package. If not using right away, place a dampened tea towel over the pastry to prevent from drying out.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a 10″ x 12″ baking pan. Place two sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the pan. The phyllo won’t fit the pan perfectly, so leave the excess to hang over the sides of the pan. Then very lightly brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Add another layer of phyllo, and brush with butter. Repeat this process with one other layer of phyllo – so you should have 4 layers of phyllo on the bottom.
7. Add half of the custard into the phyllo-lined pan, then sprinkle the raspberries on top. Pour the rest of the mixture over and spread out evenly using a spatula. Repeat the phyllo-layering process as you did in the step above. For the excess phyllo, fold each layer in, making sure to brush with the butter. Then tuck in the rest of the phyllo. Brush with butter.
8. Using a sharp knife, score the top of the phyllo layers, as if you’re cutting slices. Don’t cut all the way to the bottom. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown.
9. Once done, remove from the oven and immediately pour over the cooled syrup.
10. Allow the galaktoboureko to cool completely as this will let the custard set.
11. Slice and enjoy!