Galaktoboureko – Greek Custard Dessert

6 cups whole milk
1 cup fine semolina (farina)
1½ cups sugar
1 tblspn flour
1 tspn vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
6 egg yolks
25 phyllo sheets, thawed
3/4 cup melted butter (to brush phyllo sheets)

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tspn vanilla
1 tspn fresh lemon juice
2 thin strips of lemon peel

Combine semolina (farina), sugar and vanilla in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Slowly add semolina mix to the boiling milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork, and then stir into the hot custard mixture.

Butter a 9” x 13” Pyrex baking pan and cover bottom with 10 sheets of the phyllo, brushing melted butter on each sheet as you go (sheets should extend up the sides of the pan). Pour the custard mixture on top. Cover with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter as you go.

Score the top phyllo sheets into square or diamond shapes, being careful not to score as deeply as the custard. Bake on the center rack of 375-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden. Cut pieces all the way through.

Syrup: Boil two cups sugar with one-cup water, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon peel for 5 minutes. Ladle the hot syrup over the top.

Cool thoroughly before serving. Refrigerate in hot weather. Opa!