How to Make Greek Custard Filo (Galatoboureko)

Lately, I find myself turning more and more to the older, traditional types of foods that were cooked by our parents and grandparents. I continuously look for unique, international dishes that you might have found at home or at grandmothers table when you were just a child. Here's a nice recipe that was handed down to me by a friend's Greek mother. Please note that in different households, ingredients varied somewhat from kitchen to kitchen, using orange, apricot or lemon flavoring, different spirits or egg amounts or even having the milk custard amount vary. I hope you find this recipe as interesting as I do.
Enjoy!

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 9" x 13" x 2" nonstick pan.
• Heavy 1 quart pan for syrup
• large mixing bowl
• small bowls
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• mixing spoons
• pastry brush
• 1/2 gallon whole milk
• 8 eggs
• 1 lb. box filo (or 12 sheets homemade filo
• 1 cup of farina (or cream of wheat)
• 1 lb. sweet butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 grated lemon
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• For syrup--
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• juice of one lemon

1. For syrup -
   Mix 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water and juice of one lemon; let boil for 15 minutes and let cool slightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350*.

3. Heat milk to almost boiling; turn heat lower to simmer while slowly adding farina.

4. Stir milk mixture continuously until mixture thickens

5. Slowly add sugar

6. Add 1/4 lb. (one stick) of softened butter and grated lemon; keep stirring

7. Remove pan from heat and let stand to cool, stirring often

8. When cooled, add slightly beaten eggs, stirring until smooth

9. Melt remaining butter and generously brush bottom of 9" x 13" pan

10. Place 10 (ten) layers of filo onto bottom of pan, brushing each piece of filo with butter

11. Pour milk mixture on top of filo in pan

12. Add the rest of filo on top of the custard mixture, buttering each filo piece as you go

13. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown

14. Remove from oven and pour warm syrup over top immediately

15. Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts over top if desired (optional); and cut into 35 - 40 squares or triangles

Tips & Warnings

• Farina can be found in your supermarkets' cereal section near cooked cereals section
• You may add a sparing amount of whiskey to custard if desired
• Make sure to cover the pound of filo with a damp, clean kitchen towel so that it will not dry out while you are layering the dough