Bougatsa Cream Pie Greece Recipes

BOUGATSA - CRISPY FILO PASTRY FILLED WITH WARM CUSTARD CREAM

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Set aside.
• In a cooking pot add milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium-high heat.
• Once milk reaches a boiling point remove from heat. Using a ladle, start pouring milk slowly, into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
• Incorporate half the milk into the eggs and then transfer the mixture back to the pot.
• Transfer pot back to the heat and keep whisking until cream thickens.
• Set cream aside while you prepare the base.
• Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
• Lay open the filo stack on your working surface.
• Grease a 15x10 inch / 38x25 cm baking dish with melted butter.
• Take one filo sheet and gather it up together (to make it look wavy) to the corner of the dish. Repeat process with 4 more filo sheets to cover the whole bottom of the dish.
• Drizzle using the ⅓ of the melted butter.
• Bake filo for 5 minutes or until it gets a golden color all over on top.
• Remove from the oven and spread the cream evenly on top.
• Add the remaining filo sheets exactly the same way as you did for the base. You may tear a filo sheet apart in order to fill empty spaces.
• Drizzle remaining butter on top.
• Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until filo looks crispy and deep golden in color.
• Set pastry aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Dust with plenty of icing sugar and cinnamon. Ready to cut and serve!

BOUGATSA (GREEK CUSTARD CREAM PIE WITH PHYLLO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.
• Add milk, semolina and sugar in a pan on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is creamy and thick. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir well. Put the pan aside.
• Grease a 10x5 inches baking pan (pan should be a tad smaller than your phyllo sheets). Unroll the first phyllo sheet and lay it in the the pan, with the edges overhanging. Brush it with melted butter. Repeat process for the next four phyllo sheets. Gently pour the custard in the pan. Spread it evenly over the phyllo with a spatula. Trim the rest sheets of phyllo into the shape of the pan. Top custard with a phyllo and brush it with melted butter. Repeat process with the rest of phyllo sheets. Fold the overhanging edges towards the centre and brush with more melted butter.
• Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Cut bougatsa in slices and generously dust each slice.
• Kali orexi!

BOUGATSA -- CREAM PIE (GREECE)

Steps:

• FOR THE CREAM: In a small saucepan bring milk & vanilla extract JUST to a boil.
• In another saucepan, melt butter over medium heat & then add the semolina, stirring for 1 minute.
• Strain the milk over the semolina, stirring continuously. Add the sugar & continue stirring for 4-5 minutes, or until mixture is thickened, then remove from the heat & set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent the formation of a skin on top.
• In a small container, beat together the egg & 1 egg yolk, & when the milk mixture is cool, stir the eggs into the milk mixture.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F & coat the inside of an 8-inch-square baking dish with a little butter.
• Cut the sheets of filo to fit the baking dish & then lay 6 sheets into the baking dish, brushing the top side of each with melted butter.
• Spread the cream filling over the pastry & cover with the remaining sheets, again brushing each sheet with butter. Keep the filo covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel at all times so it doesn't dry out.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp & golden, then remove from the oven & cut into 4 squares. Sprinkle each with powdered sugar & a little cinnamon & serve hot or warm.

BOUGATSA (GREEK CREAM-FILLED PHYLLO PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Beat eggs until frothy; beat in sugar until thick and foamy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat milk in medium pot until hot but not boiling.
• Remove from heat and whisk into egg mixture in a thin stream until all the milk mixture is used up - never stop whisking.
• Pour custard mixture back into pot and set on medium-low heat; cook, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes.
• Gradually sprinkle in semolina, letting it flow out of your hand in a thin stream; add a pinch of salt.
• Reduce heat to very low, cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 5-6 minutes. Whisk in pieces of cut up butter, incorporating completely into the semolina custard.
• Remove, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and cool completely.
• When cool, stir in juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Unroll one sheet of phyllo, keeping remainder covered with dampened kitchen towel.
• Place on a work surface, with narrow end facing you.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Place 3 tbsp of custard on lower 1/3 of phyllo.
• Using a thin, flexible spatula, spread custard into a wide rectangle, approximately 10x5 inches, nearly covering lower third of phyllo.
• Fold right and left sides of phyllo towards center so that edges just meet; lightly brush folded sides with butter.
• Fold lower third up and brush with butter.
• Fold upper third down and brush with butter.
• It should now look like an envelope.
• Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet and repeat envelope-making procedure 7-9 more times (depending on how many bougatsa you are making).
• Brush tops of bougatsa with any remaining butter and bake until golden-brown, about 15-18 minutes.
• Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar (you should see a coating of the icing sugar) and cinnamon.