Laz Böreği (Paponi)

Custard Baklava

Laz Böreği (Paponi)

This typical Laz dessert from the Black Sea region of Turkey is very similar to the Greek Galaktoboureko but instead of semonila uses flour and starch to thicken the custard. A particularity of Laz Böreği is that it uses black pepper as a flavouring agent within the custard. The Black pepper within the cream might be a mistake made by a group of people from Rize in the 1800 who travelled to Russia and tried “Kremna Rezina” (a layer custard and puff pastry dessert) and though the specs of vanilla in the cream were black pepper .

⏰Prep Time: 30min ⏲️Cooktime: 1h 🍽️Servings: 8

Ingredients:

For the custard:

• 2 tbs flour
• 2 tbs corn starch
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 2.5 cups of milk
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 1 egg yolk

For the pastry:

• 30 sheets of filo pasty
• 1 cup of melted clarified butter

For the syrup:

• 1.5 cups of sugar
• 1.5 cups of water
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. Start by making the syrup, combine the water and sugar in a pot, bring to a boil, add the lemon juice and cook fro 5 minutes on medium heat.
2. Make the custard by mixing both flour and starch, sugar and vanilla sugar. Add the milk and whisk until there are no lumps. Heat on medium while stirring. Once it comes to a boil and thickens, add the egg yolk and try in, then remove from the heat and cool on a sheet p[a covered with plastic film.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F (180C)
4. Butter a 11″ x 7″ (28cm x 18cm) rectangular pan and lay the first 15 trimmed filo sheets alternating with melted butter.
5. Whisk the cooled custard and pour over the buttered filo sheets. With an offset spatula spread the custard evenly over the pastry.
6. Repeat with 15 filo sheets alternating melted butter and filo.
7. Cut the baklava in 8 by cutting first in half then in four.
8. Pour the remains butter over the baklava and bake at 350F (180C) for 30-40 minutes.
9. Once out of the oven pour over cold syrup over the hot baklava and let it soak for 1 hour before cutting.
10. After an hour, cut the baklava again on the same lines that were pre-cut and serve with crushed pistachios on top of each slice.

*Best eaten the same day, the baklava will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge*