Macedonian Custard Flogeres (Φλογέρες με Κρέμα)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •rectangular metal tapsi or baking dish, 33 x 23 cm
• •small heavy saucepan
• •pastry brush
• •clean kitchen towels for covering phyllo

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup

   Put the 400g sugar, water, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir once, then simmer for 7 minutes until clear and lightly thickened. Stir in the lemon juice, remove the peel, and let the syrup cool completely. Cold syrup is ready for hot pastry. That contrast is what lets the phyllo drink without turning slack.

2. 2

   Cook the custard

   In a heavy saucepan, whisk the milk, 100g sugar, semolina, eggs, yolks, and salt while everything is still cold. Set over medium-low heat and whisk steadily for 7 to 9 minutes, until the cream is thick enough to hold the tracks of the whisk. Take it off the heat and whisk in the vanilla, lemon zest, and 30g butter. Spread the custard into a shallow dish, press parchment directly on the surface, and cool completely.

   Start the custard cold and keep the whisk moving. The eggs and semolina thicken together, and you don't get little cooked egg threads in the cream.
3. 3

   Prepare the phyllo

   Heat the oven to 180C conventional, or 170C fan. Butter a 33 x 23 cm metal tapsi or baking dish. Unroll the phyllo and cover it with a dry towel, then a barely damp towel on top. Phyllo waits for nobody. Once it dries, it cracks before you can roll it.

4. 4

   Roll the flutes

   Lay one phyllo sheet on the counter and brush it edge to edge with warm butter. Lay a second sheet on top and butter that too. Cut the stack lengthwise into 3 long strips. Put 30 to 35g custard, about 2 tablespoons, at the short end of each strip. Fold the long sides in by 1cm, then roll snugly into a narrow flute. Set seam-side down in the tapsi. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and custard, then brush the tops generously with butter.

   Do not overfill them. A tight roll bakes cleanly; a greedy one leaks custard into the pan and then we pretend we meant to do that.
5. 5

   Bake until gold

   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the flogeres are deep golden on top and firm along the sides. The ends should look dry and crisp, not pale. If the top colors too quickly, move the pan one rack lower for the final minutes.

6. 6

   Syrup the pastry

   As soon as the flogeres come out of the oven, spoon the cold syrup evenly over the hot rolls, especially along the seams and ends. Use most of it at first, wait 5 minutes, then add the rest if the pan has room. Let them stand for at least 45 minutes so the syrup settles into the layers without drowning them.

7. 7

   Serve and keep

   Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with a little syrup from the pan spooned over each piece. Because this is a custard pastry, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, loosely covered. They keep for 2 days, though the first day has the best bite.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the thinnest fresh phyllo you can find, or thaw frozen phyllo slowly overnight in the refrigerator. Rushed phyllo tears and sweats in the packet. Λίγα και καλά: a few good things, and the pastry behaves.
• •Clarified butter gives the cleanest crispness. If you're using ordinary melted butter, pour from the top and leave the milky water at the bottom of the bowl when you can.
• •There are walnut-filled flogeres too, and they deserve their own recipe. This is the custard tray from Macedonia, so don't bury it under nuts, chocolate, or cleverness.
• •For serving, Greek coffee is enough. The syrup is already sweet, the pastry is already rich, and the old table knew when to stop.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the syrup up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. It must be cold when it meets the hot pastry.
• •Cook the custard up to 1 day ahead, cover its surface directly, and chill it. Use it cold for rolling.
• •Roll and bake the flogeres the day you plan to serve them. Filled unbaked phyllo softens if it waits too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 290g)