Bougatsa - Greek Filo pastry with custard filling
“Bougatsa” a favorite creek pastry, with a custard filling, encased in flaky, buttery phyllo pastry, is an easy, golden delight!
BOUGATSA - GREEK CUSTARD FILLED PASTRY
1 cup fine semolina or cream of wheat
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
6 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
20 sheets of phyllo pastry (half of a 1 lb. package of dough)
3/4 - 1 cup melted butter
ground cinnamon for sprinkling
powdered sugar for dusting
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, semolina, milk, and scrapings from 1 vanilla bean (or vanilla extract) Stir continuously over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 15 minutes.
-Place eggs in a separate bowl and whisk until well combined. Add a cup of the hot custard slowly to the eggs, whisking constantly to temper them. Pour the eggs into the rest of the custard, beating constantly. Add grated zest and continue cooking over medium high heat another 1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes or more.
-Melt butter in a small pot. Brush the sides and bottom of an 9 x 13 inch baking dish well with butter. Place 2 sheets of phyllo sheets on the bottom of the dish to cover 2/3s of the bottom with the ends going up and over the ends of the baking dish and brush well with melted butter. Alternating sheets, continue with 4 more sets of 2 sheets of phyllo each, brushing with butter after every 2 sheets. Adjust each position of phyllo sheets so that they are evenly covering the bottom of the baking dish.
-Pour the cooled custard into the baking dish and smooth it out evenly. Continue placing phyllo sheets on the top of the custard, centered over the custard, buttering after each addition of 2 sheets of dough, using 4 sets of 2 sheets of phyllo in total.
-Fold in the overhanging edges of phyllo dough, over the custard pushing gently. Brush the edges well with butter. The custard should now be completely enclosed in pastry.
-Place the remaining 2 sheets of phyllo on top of the Bougatsa, tucking in the edges so that the top looks attractive. Butter well. Make several cuts carefully with a serrated knife, only going through the top couple of layers, to allow steam to escape.
-Bake in middle of oven at 375F for about 35 minutes or until golden and custard has puffed. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes then dust generously with powdered sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
-Allow Bougatsa to cool for about 45 minutes before serving. Cut into serving pieces using a serrated knife going through all the layers of the pastry. May be served warm or cold. Serves 12
Phyllo (fillo) dough is readily available in the U.S. frozen foods sections.
Brush every two layers of phyllo with melted butter.
Leave edges of phyllo pastry, hanging over the edges of the dish.
Score pastry through the top couple of layers of dough before baking.
Bake until golden and puffy. Let cool and dust with powdered sugar, then sprinkle cinnamon on top.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Phyllo dough is sold in most grocery stores in the frozen foods section most often near the frozen berries and frozen pie crusts.
**This recipe uses half the melted butter called for in traditional recipes by brushing every other sheet with butter. All sheets touch butter on one side this way, but the crunchiness is not affected and you feel as if you have saved yourself half the calories - a win-win!
**To store Bougatsa, simply cover very loosely with foil and store in refrigerator. Do not seal in an airtight container or bag as this will make the layers of dough soggy - what a shame to lose that marvelous crunch!
**You can freeze Bougatsa once it is assembled and cut but before baking. Remove from freezer about 1 hour before baking and continue recipe as described above. (If frozen after baking, you loose all the crunch.)
**I like to bake mine in a glass 9 X 13 inch pan. That way I can lift it up and see through the bottom to make sure it is golden on the bottom before removing it from the oven.
