Bougatsa Tis Tebelas Lazy Womans Custard Pastry Recipes

BOUGATSA THESSALONIKIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
• Begin by making the custard. Combine the milk, salt, semolina, sugar, and corn starch in a saucepan. Cook over medium- heat while stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
• Combine the egg and egg yolk in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Temper the eggs by whisking in one cup of the hot custard mixture. Whisk well.
• Add the egg mixture to the custard in the pot and whisk well until smooth.
• Add the butter and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
• Brush a 8 -inch by 8 -inch baking dish with melted butter. Place one layer of phyllo on the bottom of the pan allowing the excess phyllo to hang over the side of baking dish (if you were looking at the dish as a clock, the phyllo will hang out at the 6:00 position) Drizzle with butter.
• Place another layer of phyllo (9:00 position) in the dish and drizzle with butter. Place the third phyllo sheet on top (at the 12:00 position) and drizzle with butter.
• Place the last sheet on top (at the 3:00) position.
• Pour the custard in the center of the sheets and spread.
• Cover the custard with the phyllo that is hanging from the pan and drizzle butter between each layer.
• Optional: If you like a nice thick top crust layer, add 1 more sheet of phyllo on top and tuck the excess of the phyllo into the pan. Brush with butter.
• Scour 4 slices into the top of the pie.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
• Garnish with a heavy dusting of confectioner's sugar and some ground cinnamon.
• Allow the pastry to sit at room temperature at least 25 minutes before serving so that the custard can set.
• Enjoy!

BOUGATSA TIS TEBELAS (LAZY WOMAN'S CUSTARD PASTRY)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, continue to heat it another few minutes (anywhere from 4-5) until it turns a dark amber colour and becomes very fragrant (this is called beurre noisette). Immediately remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
• With your browned butter, generously butter first sheet of filo pastry, then, scrunch up the pastry as if you were making a paper fan (beauty is unimportant, but that is the overall shape you want to achieve - you should be able to do this quickly, no more than 30 seconds per sheet of filo). Lay buttered filo fan down lengthwise in an 18 X 10 inch baking pan. Continue the same way with the remaining sheets of filo, until you have completely filled your pan. If there are any gaps, fill these with your last sheets of buttered filo, torn to accommodate gaps. Pour any browned butter that may be left, over the pastry.
• Bake pastry in preheated oven until a dark, golden-brown colour, about 25-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, empty condensed milk and 2 1/2 times its container of hot water. Add milk, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk to blend and add the eggs, whisking to blend. (It is important to add the eggs AFTER the addition of cold milk as the milk will cool off the hot water somewhat, so the eggs don't curdle).
• Pour the milk mixture over the filo pastry and continue to bake for another 45 minutes.
• The pastry is done when it appears quite 'set' when pressed upon gently - ie. no liquidy custard appears.
• Cut into 4 strips lengthwise and 4 strips crosswise, producing 16 pieces.
• Liberally sift icing sugar over pan and be generous with the cinnamon!
• You can serve this hot, warm or at room temperature.