It has a creamy custard filling and is sliced and served warm, sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Note: I like to use rice flour instead of simigdali (semolina) as it makes a finer custard cream.
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups of whole milk
Sliced peel of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of simigdali
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
12 sheets of commercial filo dough or home made
6 ounces of butter, melted
Method
1. Warm the milk and lemon peel in a saucepan
2. Stir in semolina with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thoroughly blended and thickened
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and add to the pan, stirring over medium-low heat until it reaches a creamy custard consistency
4. Remove from heat, take out and discard lemon peel, and allow to cool completely
5. Stir occasionally to keep the custard from forming a skin on top
6. Preheat oven to 180 <02DA>C
Note: This is filled and layered like a galatopita for ease but the right way is to wrap, layout a sheet of pastry put a line of custard one end of the filo and then wrap it up in a tube and wind it like a snail and make a number of individual ones like this.
1. Lightly brush a baking pan with butter
2. Line the bottom of the pan with 8 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet well with the melted butter
3. Add the custard filling. Fold the excess filo that overlaps the pan in over the custard
4. Top with the remaining filo, brushing each with butter
5. Use a scissors to trim the top sheets to the size of the pan
6. Spray the top lightly with water and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown
7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon while hot, and serve warm