Galaktoboureko - Greek Custard Slice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 liter milk
110 g white sugar
185 g semolina
4 eggs
40 g vanilla sugar
2 teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated
12 sheets phyllo pastry, halved crossways
75 g butter, melted
Sugar syrup
450 g white sugar
500 ml water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 strip orange peel

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180\u00b0C Bring milk and white sugar just to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the semolina in a thin steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is smooth and thickens slightly.
Remove from heat and set aside for 15-20 minutes to cool slightly. Gradually add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until well combined. Add the vanilla sugar and lemon rind and stir until well combined.
Place the filo on a clean work surface. Cover with a clean tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this will prevent it drying out). Place 1 filo sheet in the base of a 24 x 30cm (base measurement) ovenproof dish and brush with a little melted butter. Top with another filo sheet and lightly brush with melted butter.
Repeat with another 10 filo sheets and melted butter to make a 12-sheet stack.
Pour semolina mixture over the filo in dish. Continue layering with remaining filo sheets and half the remaining melted butter to make another 12-sheet stack on top of the semolina mixture.
Use a small sharp knife to score top of galaktoboureko into 16 squares. Brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, to make sugar syrup, place the sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Strain syrup and discard cinnamon, cloves and peel.
Cut through marked lines on top of galaktoboureko. Pour over the hot syrup and set aside for 30 minutes to stand. Serve warm or at room temperature.