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Galaktoboureko Pie

I was shown how to make this traditional recipe by a friend’s Yia Yia (Greek grand-mother) many years ago and below is her recipe (with a few variations).

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2-inch piece lemon peel
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup semolina, finely ground
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 6 cups of milk (not low fat)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

Phyllo Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 pound phyllo dough sheets, thawed

Glaze Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Add the lemon peel, reduce heat to low, and cook for 8 minutes.
2. Remove saucepan from heat, add the lemon juice and set aside to cool without stirring (can cool for up to an hour).  Discard lemon peel.

Pie Filling Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on high speed, 2 eggs with 1/3 the sugar until light and frothy, about 3 minutes.  Add 2 additional eggs and another 1/3 of the sugar, and beat for 2 minutes.   Add last 2 eggs and the rest of the sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
2. Add the semolina, vanilla, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest.  Beat for 2 minutes.
3. Add the milk and the melted butter. Beat for 5 minutes on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy (mixer bowl will be very full).
4. Pour the filling into a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture thickens, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool while assembling the phyllo in the pan, about 15 minutes.

Pie Assembling Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brush the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with some melted butter.
3. Using 1/2 of the phyllo sheets in the 1 pound package, lay one sheet of phyllo in the pan so that the sheet goes up to the rim on one side of the pan and overhangs on the other side.  Brush the first phyllo sheet with butter.  Continue layering the sheets until there are phyllo sheets overhanging on all sides of the pan – not forgetting to brush butter between layers.
4. Stir the cooled custard and pour into the pan over the phyllo sheets.  Using a spoon, spread the custard in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.
5. Fold in the overhanging phyllo over the custard, brushing butter between phyllo sheets until about 1/2 of the custard surface is covered with phyllo.  Brush top of phyllo with butter.
6. Using the second 1/2 of the phyllo package, lay each sheet over the top of the pie, brushing each with butter as you layer, to cover the whole pie.  Brush the top of the pie with butter.
7. Using a very sharp knife or a serrated knife, cut the pie in 16 slices, ensuring to cut all the way through the bottom phyllo layer.  You will break some pieces of the phyllo top layer, but this step would be impossible after baking.
8. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until golden.
9. Remove the pie from the oven and pour the cooled glaze over the entire pie surface.  Cool pie completely, at least 3 hours before serving.

16 servings.

Notes: Rule of thumb when using phyllo, ALWAYS brush each layer with melted butter.  This ensures flaky pastry layers.  Also, ALWAYS keep a damp kitchen towel over the phyllo sheets you’re not using to keep the sheets from becoming brittle and dry.  Make certain to keep the pie on the cookie sheet through the cooling process as some of the glaze will seep out of the springform pan. Eat the pie within a day of making it as it’ll become soggy. I use the candied lemon peel as a garnish for the pie.