Baked filo with yoghurt custard and lemon syrup

Patzavoura

By: Pam Talimanidis
From: A la Grecque
Makes: 24 pieces
Photographer: Mark Roper

This translates into English as ‘mop head’, as Greek mops look like pleated strips of fabric, and this is the effect of the filo pastry in this dessert. The pastry is topped with custard, baked and then drenched with syrup. It is very sweet, so add plenty of lemon juice to the syrup.

Emek yufka is handmade filo pastry, which is available from Greek or Turkish delicatessens or supermarkets. If you can’t find emek yufka, then use regular filo pastry – but the texture of the dessert will be different.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1 tablespoon	butter, melted
6	eggs
250g	caster sugar
250g	plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon	baking powder
125ml	vegetable oil
900g	emek yufka

Syrup

Quantity	Ingredient
250g	sugar
125ml	water
1	lemon, juiced and zested

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Brush a 30 cm diameter baking dish with the melted butter.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy. Add the yoghurt, baking powder and oil and whisk together well.
Gather sheets of emuk yufka into pleats and fit them into the baking dish until the base is completely covered. Pour on the custard and bake for 35 minutes until the custard is set and golden brown.
While the tart is baking, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice and zest in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Pour the warm syrup over the custard and pastry while still warm. Cut into portions while still in the dish. Refrigerate and serve cold.