Greek Ekmek Kataifi using Custard Powder
Ekmek Kataifi is a chilled dessert recipe from Greece made with layers of syrupy shredded pastry, creamy custard, whipped cream and chopped nuts.
Servings: 8 pieces
Calories: 322kcal
Ingredients
For syrup
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ lemon rind optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice skip if using rind
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the kataifi layer
- 250 grams kunafa dough kataifi or shredded phyllo pastry, thawed
- 60 to 80 grams unsalted butter melted (approx. ⅓ cup melted butter)
For the custard layer
- 3 cups milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons custard powder
- 2 to 3 mastic beads optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon rose water skip if using mastic
For the whipped cream layer
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ⅓ cup icing sugar
For the garnish
- chopped nuts pistachios or walnuts or almonds
- cinnamon powder
- dried rose petals
Instructions
Prepare the syrup
- Take a deep pot and add the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon rind or juice. Bring this to a full boil over medium-high heat without stirring.1 cup white sugar, ¾ cup water, ½ lemon rind, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Boil for 5 minutes or until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prep the kataifi
- Unroll the fully thawed kataifi pastry. Work the shredded phyllo dough with your hands, separating the strands and spreading them out to make sure there are no lumps or knots. Comb until they turn out fluffy.250 grams kunafa dough
Bake the kataifi base
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 338°F.
- Grease an 8x11inch deep oval dish with butter.
- Spread half of the fluffy kataifi pastry to cover the entire base.
- Sprinkle half of the melted butter all over using a pastry brush (don't let the brush touch the shredded pastry). Repeat with the remaining shredded pastry and the melted butter.60 to 80 grams unsalted butter
- Use a spatula to press down the sides of the pan so that you have a clean layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 30 to 40 minutes or until nice and golden.
- Remove from the oven and immediately pour all of the cooled syrup over the base using a ladle. It may seem like too much syrup, but all of it will be absorbed while cooling.
Prepare the custard
- While the kataifi is baking, prepare the instant custard as per your package instructions. You may refer to my custard pudding recipe to make custard using egg yolks.
- Add the milk and sugar to a deep saucepan. Remove ¼ cup of the milk into a smaller bowl and stir in the custard powder until dissolved, without any lumps.3 cups milk, ⅔ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons custard powder
- Now, heat the milk in the saucepan on a low to medium flame until just warm. If using mastic, pound it to a fine dust and stir it into the warm milk.2 to 3 mastic beads
- Pour the dissolved custard while whisking the milk continuously.
- Keep whisking until the milk thickens or until it coats the back of a wooden ladle. Stir in rose water, if using.1 teaspoon rose water
- Switch off and transfer the custard into a bowl.
- Place cling wrap or parchment paper touching the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin while cooling. Let the custard cool until it reaches room temperature.
Prepare the whipped cream
- Start this process only after the kataifi base and the custard have come to room temperature. Place your large metal bowl and the whisks of the electric hand-held mixer in the freezer. Make sure the whipping cream is also chilled.
- Add the cream and sugar to the chilled bowl and whisk using the hand mixer on medium to high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream should be thick and hold its shape.1 cup whipping cream, ⅓ cup icing sugar
Assemble
- Check if the kataifi pastry has reached room temperature and has soaked up all the syrup. Also, check if the custard is no longer hot or warm.
- Now, pour the cooled custard cream on top of the cooled syrupy kataifi and level it with the back of a spoon.
- Next, spread the whipped cream all over the custard layer. Traditionally, they use a fork to draw long lines all over the top, which I believe is to stick the custard and cream layer. I missed doing it and had trouble with the whipped cream layer sliding off when served.
Garnish
- Sprinkle cinnamon powder, chopped nuts and/or dried rose petals as much as you want.chopped nuts, cinnamon powder, dried rose petals
- Cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least for 3 to 4 hours.
Serve
- Cut into squares using a knife.
- Lift the piece using a wide-ended spatula and serve with fresh berries or seasonal fruits.
Store
- Refrigerate any leftover cling wrapped tightly for up to 5 days, but the whipped cream layer may lose its stability by day 2.
Nutrition
Serving: 215g | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.02g | Protein: 7.25g | Fat: 11.86g
