Galaktompoureko (Γαλακτομπουρεκο)

A friend from Greece called this morning trying to find out when we are going to visit, well it's Monday morning, June 22nd second day of summer and no plans for visiting Greece this summer, hate it.

Living in southern California is a dream, but spending a few weeks in the Greek islands during the summer is more than a dream.
After my phone conversation, my daughter once again started talking about yiayia, and what a great cook she was, and we ended up talking about the corner bakery and all the sweets on their window, so we decided to make our favorite galaktoboureko.
Easy and quick recipe for every one to make.

Ingredients:

For the cream:
* 6 1/2 cups of milk
* 350 gr. sugar
* 150 gr. semolina
* 3 eggs
* 3 tsp vanilla extract


For the syrup:
* 500 gr. sugar
* 1 1/2 tbs corn syrup
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 lemon (cut in 4 pieces)
* 2 tbs vanilla extract

** 1 cup melted butter
** 1 pack of filo (18 sheets)
** 11" x 15" pan or you can use a 16" round pan

Combine all ingredients for the cream (except the vanilla extract) in a pan on high heat.
Keep stirring until cream thickens up, turn off the heat and add vanilla extract.
Turn oven on to 300 f .
Butter the pan and lay half the filo sheets, butter them one by one, if they are bigger than you pan leave them out of the pan.
Pour the cream in the pan, fold the filo sheets from outside the pan and cover the cream with the rest of the filo sheets of course while you butter them again one by one, if you have any butter left pour on top.
Mark with a knife where you are going to cut the galaktoboureko after it's cooked (make sure that you don't cut through the cream) and sprinkle with a little water.

Galaktoboureko right before you put in the oven.

Put in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Twenty minutes before you remove from the oven you need to make the syrup.
Combine all ingredients in a pan except, the vanilla extract, and place on high heat, Let it boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
When the galaktoboureko is cooked add the hot syrup.

**Make sure that you add the syrup as soon as you take the pan out of the oven, if the syrup is cooling off bring it up to boil before you pour it on the galaktoboureko, make sure it cooled off before you cut and serve.

Galaktoboureko right after you add the hot syrup.

Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon. and enjoy!!!