Creamy Custard Phyllo Pastry Recipes

PHYLLO-CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and simmer 2 minutes. Set syrup aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix semolina and 1/2 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and 4 tablespoons melted butter; bring to boil, whisking occasionally. Boil until mixture is thick and creamy, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in semolina mixture. Mix in vanilla. Cool filling completely.
• Lightly butter 10-inch glass pie dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of dish. Brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet. Continue layering with 3 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Spoon filling into dish. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Using scissors, trim excess phyllo from sides of dish. With very sharp knife, score tip of phyllo sheets, forming diamond pattern.
• Bake pie until phyllo is golden brown and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack. Immediately strain 1 cup cooled syrup over pastry. Cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve.

LEMON SEMOLINA CUSTARD IN PHYLLO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Whisk in semolina, and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in eggs, one at a time. Return saucepan to heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 to 40 seconds, to cook the eggs. Remove custard from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt remaining 2 sticks butter with olive oil; use some of this mixture to brush an 8-inch round nonstick springform baking pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
• Stack phyllo on a work surface, cover with parchment paper, and top with a damp kitchen towel. Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time, place one of the corners into the center of the pan and gently press the dough so that it fits tightly in the pan. Lay the corner of the second sheet of phyllo into the center of the pan, slightly overlapping the first sheet of phyllo. Press the second sheet tightly into the pan. Lay a third sheet of phyllo in the same manner, covering the remainder of the pan (one layer of dough is now completed). Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo with a generous amount of the butter mixture. Lightly sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
• Place three more sheets of phyllo into the pan in the same manner, brushing with the butter mixture and sprinkling with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat process again with the remaining 3 sheets of phyllo (you will now have completed three layers). Fill phyllo-lined pan with custard; spread evenly.
• Working with one layer at a time, fold phyllo sheets toward the center of the pan. Brush generously with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat folding, buttering, and sprinkling until all layers have been folded toward the center. Do not sprinkle the top layer as the cinnamon-sugar mixture may burn and darken the pastry. Prick all over with a fork, and bake, on a Silpat-lined baking sheet, until golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Combine remaining tablespoon of cinnamon with the confectioners' sugar, and sprinkle over the surface of the phyllo when removed from oven. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GREEK CUSTARD WITH PHYLLO PASTRY

Steps:

• Scald milk in a large saucepan; stir in 4 tablespoons butter and sugar. Gradually add farina, stirring constantly, and bring mixture slowly to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat eggs in a bowl until they are fluffy and a light yellow. Slowly stir hot farina mixture into egg mixture. Add vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with 1 sheet of phyllo with some of it hanging over the edge of the pan. Brush with butter. Be sure to keep unused phyllo pastry covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Layer 5 more sheets of buttered phyllo in the pan so that bottom and sides are completely covered.
• Pour in cooled custard.
• Cover with 1 sheet of phyllo; brush with butter. Layer 5 more individually buttered sheets of phyllo on top, and fold in overhang.
• With a sharp knife, score through top layers of phyllo, marking off 2 1/4-inch squares or diamond shapes. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

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.