Vanilla Custard Filo Pie

Vanilla Custard Filo Pie

This vanilla custard filo pie is an adaptation of Bougatsa, a Greek pastry made from a spiral of crisp wafer-thin, buttery filo pastry, filled with lemon-scented semolina and vanilla custard.



Found in bakeries all over Greece, it is eaten as a mid-morning snack during their work break, or with their afternoon coffee.

My version is simpler to make and comes together really quickly, making it great for a quick recipe to make during the week for the family to enjoy.

If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and the other readers. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #thegourmetlarder on Instagram. I love seeing what you come up with! 🙂


RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

  • EASE: easy.
  • FREE FROM: for ideas on sugar and dairy-free, check my substitutions section for details.
  • GREAT FOR: breakfast, lunch or dinner, picnics, friends and family visiting.
  • TASTE & TEXTURE: crispy, buttery filo pastry filled with the creamiest lemon scented vanilla custard.
  • SERVING: great after any meal or with a cup of coffee.
  • MAKES: 8 slices


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    © THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.


    INGREDIENTS

    For this recipe all you need are these ingredients:

    • Whole milk – is essential in creating the vanilla lemon custard that fills this pie.
    • Lemon peel (optional) – used to flavour the custard.
    • Butter – for creating crisp buttery pastry layers and enriching the vanilla custard.
    • Fine semolina – is important to get a really delicious custard and for it to have that distinctive texture.
    • Caster or granulated white sugar – just a little to sweeten the custard.
    • Egg – helps to build structure and set the custard. Egg-free version – the egg can be omitted entirely; the custard will not be as light or set as well but will be deliciously creamy.
    • Pure vanilla extract or paste – really adds to the custard’s flavour.

    Vanilla recommendations: pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste or vanilla pods.

    • Filo dough (170g) – creates a crisp buttery pastry to hold our custard.
    • Icing sugar and ground cinnamon – adds a little more sweetness and that warm cinnamon taste.



    SUBSTITUTIONS

    I haven’t tried any of these substitutions, but they should work for this recipe, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.

    SUGAR-FREE AND LOW-CALORIE OPTIONS

    • Brown sugar suggestions: Pure Via Baker’s soft brown sugar or Sukrin Gold’s natural brown sugar alternative.

    VEGAN OPTIONS

    • Dairy-free milk: replace the milk with non-dairy milks such as almond, oat, rice or soy milk.

    WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

    The pastry is very versatile and can be topped with nuts or raisins prior to being baked.

    If you experiment, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.


    NUTRITION

    Serving: one slice

    Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.

    I strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy.

    I encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Vanilla custard Filo Pie

    STORAGE AND FREEZING

    This pie is great served still warm from the oven or any leftovers will keep for a day or two.

    Freezing: I don’t advise freezing as you really want to keep the pastry as crisp as possible. Freezing tends to allow the pastry to absorb moisture thus creating soft pastry and re-heating doesn’t help. For best results make fresh every time.

    © THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.


    TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

    Here is some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.

    I like the sturdiness of this bowl and its 4 litre capacity means I can use it for mixing just about everything in the kitchen. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

    These different size mixing bowls are really useful depending on the amount of food you are preparing. They also have airtight lids that fit snugly to seal and keep food fresh, so this set can be used as dry storage bowls with lids on. The plastic lid of the largest bowl has a removable centre. Where one of 3 graters can be used.

    I do own a plastic mixing bowl but I am personally not a big fan of them. These 3 bowls are on the smaller size but good for the odd cake making.

    This brush is both flexible and durable, being able to withstanding extreme temperatures.

     Classic round flan mould is ideal for cooking, baking and serving quiches, fruit flans and tarts.

    The Gourmet Larder is an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    TIP: I highly recommend using metric measurements and a digital kitchen scale, rather than cup measurements. If you have ever ended up with dry, dense or crumbly baked goods, it might be because of inaccurate volume measurements, not all measuring cups are made equally. All my recipes on this blog are carefully developed so that you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success, using metric measurements. It is also a lot easier, less messy and you will get far better, consistent results. 🙂
    If you are interested in understanding conversions, here you will find the best conversion chart.

    Vanilla custard Filo Pie

    Vanilla Custard Filo Pie

    Preparation:15 minutes
    Baking:35 minutes
    Total:50 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Tools you’ll need:
    • 25cm pie or tart dish
    This vanilla custard filo pie is made up of a spiral of crispy, buttery filo pastry filled with the creamiest lemon scented vanilla custard.

    INGREDIENTS LIST
     

    Custard

    • 500 ml whole milk
    • 1 lemon (peeled)
    • 50 g butter
    • 50 g fine semolina or wheat farina (cream of wheat)
    • 50 g caster sugar
    • 1 medium egg (50g)
    • 1 medium egg yolk
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp of vanilla paste

    Filo pastry

    • 1 packet filo dough (170g)
    • 80-100 g butter (melted for brushing on the filo)

    Decoration

    • 1 tbsp icing sugar (US powdered sugar) (for decorating)
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (decorating)

    Preparation
     

    • Custard: In a medium saucepan, warm the milk and lemon peel. Bring to a boil and set aside.
    • In another medium pan, melt the butter and stir in the semolina, mixing until well combined.
    • Remove the lemon peel from the milk and discard it, then gradually pour the milk into the semolina, mixing well until thoroughly blended without lumps.
    • Next, add the sugar and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cover with heat resistant cling film to stop a skin forming and leave to cool slightly.
    • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas 6 and grease a glass or ceramic 25cm pie dish with some melted butter.
    • Brush a filo sheet with butter and pull the two long sides towards each other in a pleated pattern.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
    • Twist it into a snail shape and place it in the centre of the prepared dish.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
    • Brush another filo sheet with butter and bring the long sides together again in a pleated pattern and coil it around the pastry in the centre.
      Repeat with the remaining butter and filo until you have filled the dish.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
    • Place the pie dish into the oven for 15 minutes until the filo is nice and golden. Meanwhile finish the custard.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
    • In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk with the vanilla. Add this to the custard and mix well to combine.
    • Once the filo is baked remove from the oven and pour the custard over the top into all the crevasses.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
    • Baking: Place it back in the oven for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the custard has puffed up.
    • Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the icing sugar and cinnamon while hot, and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
      Vanilla custard Filo Pie
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    KEYWORDS pie recipes, semolina, vanilla, vanilla custard recipes

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    PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT FOR YOU!

    If you tried this Vanilla Custard Filo Pie or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Also, please leave a star rating whilst you’re there!

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    Vanilla custard Filo Pie

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    Nigel sig




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