Galaktoboureko Cupcakes

Galaktoboureko Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the galaktoboureko:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• 1 /2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter (5 1/3 tbsp)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 sheets thick, commercial filo dough (if you come across a brand that shows the number, I used a #7)
• 2/3 cup clarified butter, to brush on filo sheets

For the syrup:

• 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 lemon

Directions

Custard:  In a heavy pot, bring the milk to a boil. Sprinkle in the semolina, whisking constantly over very low heat. Add the sugar, then simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and add the butter and the eggs, 1 by 1, stirring. Blend in the vanilla. The mixture will be thick but pourable, like a sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Method 

cut up the filo into squares large enough to go over the cup cake tin and a bit larger so you can fold over once the feeling is in. the size I needed, I needed to know how big the squares should be. Approximately 6”x 6”Turned out to be a good size.

To assemble the cups, lay 4 squares of filo with brushes of butter in between, also brushing butter on the top square. Then pressed this into one of the cups in the muffin tin, arranging it so there was as much room for custard as possible (there will be filo overhang, but this is necessary).  Then with a ladle, I filled the cup with custard all the way to the rim, then folded down the overhanging flaps of filo sticking up to create a protective cover over the custard.  After folding them down, I brushed the tops with butter to seal and weigh down the flaps.  

When done assembling the muffin tin, bake it at 375F for 30 minutes, checking to see how golden brown the filo was getting.  Once they achieved the shade of golden brown in the picture below, removed from the oven.

Making the syrup 

Make the syrup while the cupcakes are baking  always have syrup cold on hot galakoktobouriko cupcakes  Add 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar 1/4 lemon  and a stick of cinnamon and when they came out of the oven deep them in cold syrup for a few seconds and spooned a bit of syrup into each cupcake’s opening at the top. Place them in a tray and let them cool down  making sure to let them cool completely before you place them in the fridge covered with a cloth tea towel!