Galatopita. It is better than Ice Cream cake!

Greek custard could be creamy, could be almost cake-like – according to how it will be used.

Galatopita is a custard tart with a solid ‘cake-like’ custard that can be made with or without phyllo.

(The version with phyllo requires bottom and top layers of buttered phyllo and syrup poured on top after baking…much like the Greek Galaktoboureko filled with soft custard.)

This version of galatopita is without phyllo. This version is without syrup. This version is without any crust.

It is summer, we need to make things simple, easy, and refreshing!

Greece is in the middle of a heat wave like no other.

I realized that this galatopita certainly is better than ice cream cake because it is very easy to make, keeps in the refrigerator, and is marvelous when served cold in the heat of the summer.

Galatopita is a traditional dessert that is most often made to have on hand as a sweet snack and it is wonderfully easy to double or triple the ingredients and have as an extra dessert when you have to feed a crowd.

I always use a 27 cm quiche pan to make galatopita.

It requires a few very basic staples as ingredients. Simple to make, quick to prepare and it will last 3 days in the refrigerator (if you have any leftover pieces!)

You can serve galatopita pieces with sifted confectionary sugar and cinnamon!

Galatopita.

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Butter a 27 cm round pan, quiche pan or square pan. Sprinkle the buttered pan with semolina.

Ingredients:

1 liter of whole milk

3 whole eggs + 1 egg white, beaten

3 tbsp butter

1 cup fine semolina

1 cup sugar (I use unbleached natural cane sugar)

juice of 2 oranges

grated rind of one lemon

grated rind of one orange

a few threads (4 or 5) of saffron (optional) *

1 dose of vanilla (extract, powder, ground beans)

1 cinnamon stick

ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Topping: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water, tsp sugar, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat the 3 eggs with the 1 egg white and set aside.Heat the milk with the saffron threads until very warm, and keep it over low heat. Do not let it boil.When the milk is warm, add the butter, sugar, cinnamon stick, pinch of salt, vanilla and semolina. Combine well with whisk.Keep stirring as it will begin to thicken. Keep the milk at a warm temperature throughout the preparation. Do not overheat.Remove the cinnamon stick.Temper the eggs with the warm mixture. ** Make sure the custard batter is warm, not hot.Add the tempered eggs to the warm custard batter and combine quickly with the whisk. If your burner feels too hot, remove the pan from the burner and add the tempered eggs combining them quickly into the warm batter.Mix well.Add orange and lemon rinds and ground cinnamon.Remove from heat and whisk in the orange juice, combining it well.Pour this mixture into the buttered pan.Top with egg yolk that has been beaten with a bit of water, sugar, and cinnamon.Bake at 180 C for approximately 45 minutes. It may brown so you may need to cover it at about 30 minutes of baking time with oven paper. If you do, take it off for the last minute or two before removing the pan from the oven.Cut into slices when completely cooled. Serve at room temperature throughout the year. In the summertime serve cold. Don’t forget to top with confectionary sugar and ground cinnamon if you like!

notes:

*(Saffron is added to galatopita quite often, especially in northern Greece as Saffron is grown in Kozani. Although the threads of Saffron are a gorgeous shade of Scarlet Red, they add a gorgeous yellow hue to the custard batter! They have a distinct flavor that pairs well with sweet and savory..plus there are the medicinal benefits to boot that make saffron a popular addition to many recipes.)

**(tempered eggs – To ‘temper’ the beaten eggs, gradually add 1 tbsp of the warm custard batter into the beaten egg mixture and stir quickly. Once it is blended, add a bit more warm custard to the egg mixture and stir quickly. Tempering the eggs allows the eggs to gradually become warm without cooking. This will prevent the eggs from ‘cooking’ which happens when you add them directly to a mixture that is too hot. )