Celebrate National Dessert Day with this Bougatsa Recipe

October 14 is National Dessert Day, a day when you can indulge in your favourite Greek desserts without regret or remorse.

In celebration we share our Bougatsa recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Bougatsa is a traditional Greek dessert, which can be eaten any time of the day!

It consists of layers and layers of delicious and crispy filo pastry, which is filled with a creamy custard and then dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar.

Here is an easy recipe to follow from my yiayia's hands (walking cookbook).

It’s simply DIVINE and I know you want to eat it!

*Tip: Use a clean cloth to cover the phyllo you are not yet working with.

Ingredients

• 1 packet of filo pastry
• 1 litre of milk
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 1 cup of fine semolina
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
• orange rind, grated
• oil for brushing
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• icing sugar and cinnamon, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat milk in a pot over medium heat. Add the semolina and stir consistently. Allow the cream to thicken.
3. In a bowl, mix the beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon.
4. Add the mixture from the bowl into the pot. Keep stirring over the heat until the mixture thickens into a custard and no lumps form. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
5. Open up your pack of phyllo and unwrap the sheets. Lay 3 sheets of pastry one on top of the other, brushing oil between each sheet. Cut pastry into 4 squares.
6. Place 1/3 cup of custard mixture in the bottom center of your square. Fold sides over and then roll up. Brush the top with oil.
7. Place each roll on a greased tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
8. When ready, remove tray from oven. Allow the bougatses to cool on a rack.
9. Dust with sifted icing sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Check out our other recipes here:

• Amigthalota- Greek Almond Biscuits Recipe
• Horta Vrasta- Greek Boiled Leafy Greens Recipe
• Spetsofai- Greek Sausage and Peppers Recipe
• Mussels Saganaki Recipe
• Greek-inspired lamb burgers Recipe
• Patsavouropita- Greek Rag Pie Recipe
• Spanakorizo- Spinach and Rice Recipe
• Bourekia Me Kima- Mince Filled Pastries Recipe
• Sokolatopita- Greek Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Loukoumades: Greek Honey Puffs Recipe