• 50 g ⅓ cup soft flour (Fine '00' flour or all-purpose flour)
• 100 g ⅔ cup cornstarch
• 2 sachets (2X10g) vanilla
• 125 g ½ cup sugar
• 3 eggs (Medium)
• ¼ cup 60ml rose water
For the Syrup
• 460 g 2 cups sugar
• 375 g 1 ½ cups room temperature water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 2 tbsp 18ml lemon juice
METHOD
1. For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine all the syrup ingredients except the lemon juice and place it on the heat. Let it boil until the sugar dissolves, lower the heat, and simmer for 6 - 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, stir, and let it cool.
2. For the custard: In a saucepan, pour 6 cups of milk and bring to a boil. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, vanilla, sugar, and eggs, after beating them very well with a fork. Add the remaining milk (2 cups) and mix very well with a whisk. Add a little of the hot milk and mix. Place a sieve over the saucepan and pour the egg mixture into the hot milk. Stir quickly. As soon as the custard starts to thicken, add the rose water. Stir for 2 - 3 minutes until the custard thickens well and remove it from the heat.
3. For assembly: Count the sheets in the package you will use. You will place half the sheets on the bottom and half on top. Take a rectangular baking pan (24x32 cm) and grease it with butter. Place half the sheets on the bottom (covering the sides too), brushing them one by one with the melted butter. Spread the custard on top and fold the overhanging edges inward, brushing them also with butter. Place one folded phyllo sheet on top, folded in half, and brush it with butter. Repeat the same process with the remaining sheets. With a knife or brush, press the edges of the pastry all around to tuck them into the pan. Score the surface of the galaktoboureko into 12 pieces and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of water (so it doesn't puff up during baking). Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C convection for 55 minutes to 1 hour. As soon as you take it out of the oven, pour the cold syrup over it, ladle by ladle. Let it absorb the syrup for 2 - 3 hours before serving.
