Creamy Scrumptious Galaktopoureko

I think it’s time to share my favorite dessert with you. It’s my last blog post (sniffle, sniffle), and I have to make it extra special. I have to admit, I don’t know what my favorite food is – I love everything! But when it comes to desserts, without doubt my favorite dessert is galaktopoureko. Crazy name – yes. Delicious – absolutely positively yes. Galaktopoureko is a creamy custard dessert with sweet syrup, crispy filo dough and just a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. It is simple and delicious. Who doesn’t love a luscious custard dessert? 

Every year I work at my church’s Greek Food Festival which takes place just after school’s done. I usually work in the food line preparing the trays and giving out utensils and such. Probably sounds boring, but it isn’t. We have the best, and I mean the best food and I try to eat something different each time. Yet, every year I just have to have galaktopoureko. I can’t leave without having it at least once. At my church they make the galaktopoureko with a lot of cream filling and a thick dusting of powdered sugar on top. When you bite into it, it’s like biting into cool refreshing sweet pudding with crunchy crisp filo dough. But the more traditional way of making it is using syrup instead of powdered sugar.

I’ve always wanted to make this but honestly I never knew where to start. It all seems so difficult to me. You have to make custard. Then you have to prepare the filo dough, which is always tearing apart and never comes out as one piece, never. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, you have to make syrup to pour on top as soon as you take the galaktopoureko out of the oven. (Gasp) In my mind, that is insane. But I wanted to make this so badly that I overcame my fear and looked up a recipe. And honestly, it is so much easier than I expected! I just can’t stop eating it.

Ingredients (I used the recipe from Vefa’s kitchen):  

For the custard filling:

4 cups milk

3 eggs

2 yolks

½ cup sugar

1/3 plus 1 T cream of wheat/semolina

1 tsp. vanilla

 

For the crust:

1 box filo dough

1 stick melted butter

For the syrup:

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup water

1 T lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure: Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour the milk into a pan, and warm it up. 

While this is heating up, in another small pan, melt some butter which will be used later. 

In a mixer, pour the eggs (the yolks too) with the sugar and beat together until it gets frothy. 

Take the milk off of the heat and pour the eggs-sugar mixture. At the beginning, add one spoon at a time, constantly beating until you have added all of the mixture to the milk. Continue to beat together. Now put the vanilla and semolina in and mix until it has thickened. This is a basic custard, similar to a béchamel or pudding. 

Set the custard aside. Butter a dish and take the filo dough out of the package. Now take one sheet of the super thin dough and lay it flat in the dish. Brush on some of the melted butter on top of the sheet, and then take another sheet and lay that on top. 

Do this same process for around another 15 sheets. After that last sheet, pour the custard into the dish.

Spread it out evenly and take another sheet. This is the hard part. Lightly apply butter onto the filo without tearing it. It’s ok if it tears a bit, because there will be more filo dough on top of it, but try not to rip the whole sheet. Continue to put the butter on top of the sheets for about another 10 or so sheets. 

Once you reach the end, butter the last sheet and carefully with a sharp knife, slice the sheets. Try to cut through only a few of the top layers, without reaching the actual custard. 

Now place this in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until light brown. While the galaktopoureko is baking, pour the water and sugar into a pot for the syrup. Let them boil for about 7 minutes and then add the lemon juice and vanilla at the end. 

Take out the galaktopoureko once it has browned, and pour the warm syrup all over the top. 

Then let it sit for at least an hour or so until the syrup has been absorbed. Then cut and serve warm. 

I think it tastes better warm but it also tastes good cold, so if you don’t finish it all the day you make it, put it in the fridge, uncovered, and eat the next day. It is very important to leave it uncovered, so that the filo dough will not get soggy and moist. Most people serve with cinnamon so I decided I would try it and see which tastes better. And I like it even better with a bit of cinnamon over top. It tastes absolutely delicious and I really hope you try it! Tell me how you like it! :)