Galaktoboureko (Greek milk pie)

Ingredients:

• 450 g thick filo pastry
• 4 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup fine semolina
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup melted butter for greasing the dough
• 3 tbsp of water
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the semolina and simmer over low heat, whisking constantly. Add the sugar, then simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. The mixture should be thick but pourable, like a sauce.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C.
   
   Grease a deep 25cm baking dish with butter. Line the bottom of the dish with 8 sheets of phyllo dough, allowing the edges to hang over the sides. Generously brush each sheet with melted butter. Pour the milk mixture over the dough.
3. Cut the remaining phyllo sheets to fit the pan and brush each sheet with melted butter. Place the greased sheets on the filling, then brush the overhanging edges with melted butter and roll them up to form a seam.
   
   Using a very sharp knife, score the surface diagonally in two directions to create a diamond pattern. (This will make slicing the pie easier later and will help the syrup soak into the pie better.) Sprinkle with a little water and bake the pie for an hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set.
4. As soon as you put the pie in the oven, start making the syrup. Bring water, sugar, and 1/2 lemon to a boil and simmer for about an hour. Remove half a lemon and squeeze the juice into the syrup. Discard the lemon. Pour the syrup over the pie as soon as it comes out of the oven. Be careful, as the syrup will boil vigorously and could burn you.
   
   Let cool and serve, cutting the pie into pieces along the cuts you made before baking.