Milk pie from Mani of Greece

MILK PIE FROM MANI OF GREECE

First recipe

Ingredients

1600 ml milk

200 g. sugar (Some people like the dessert very sweet and others less sweet. It is better to try the milk when you mix it with the sugar to see if it is sweet enough or if it needs more sugar)

70 g. of margarine

140 g. coarse semolina

3 large eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Put in a pot the milk, the sugar and the margarine.

Place the pot over medium heat and heat up.

When the milk warms up a bit, pour the semolina little by little into the pot stirring constantly.  

The ideal is the semolina to dissolve in the milk without making any lumps.

But if lumps are created, submerge the hand blender in the custard and knock it until homogenous.  

Boil the custard until it thickens.

Remove the pot from the heat and leave it to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs with a whisk. Pour them into the pot and stir.

Add the lemon zest and mix again.

Add a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Grease a round 34 cm in diameter non-stick pan.

Sprinkle the pan lightly with sugar to prevent the sticking of the custard.

Empty the custard into the pan. Spread it evenly throughout the pan.

Place the pan in the oven on the first rack from the bottom.

Bake at 180 C degrees for about 40 minutes.

The cream should not be very stiff. It is okay if it trembles slightly.

Remove the milk pie from the oven and leave it to cool completely.

Put it in the fridge to set.

When you serve the milk pie, put cinnamon on its surface.

Second recipe

In this recipe you need the same ingredients as before. There are differences in the way you will make the milk custard.

Instructions

Put in a pot the milk and the sugar and heat over medium heat.

Put in another pot 70 grams of margarine or 35 g. of butter and 35 g. of margarine, or 70 g. of butter.

Place this pot over medium heat.

Wait for the butter or the margarine to melt.

Once melted, pour into the pot semolina and stir.

Let the semolina to cook and get golden in color.

With a big cup take hot milk from the first pot and pour it in the semolina.

Add milk over and over again. Continue this way until you pour all the hot milk into the pot.

Leave the custard to boil until it thickens.

If lumps are created use the hand blender to knock them and homogenize the custard.

Remove the custard from the heat.

Let it cool slightly.

Beat the eggs with a whisk.

Pour them into the custard and stir well.

Add the zest of one lemon and a tablespoon full of lemon in the custard.

Butter one nonstick round pan 34 cm in diameter and sprinkle it lightly with sugar.

Spread evenly the custard into the pan.

Place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven.

Bake at 170 C degrees for about 45 minutes.

When the cake is ready, it takes a dark beige color and smells nicely.

Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool.

Put the pie for one hour in the fridge to set.

When you will serve it put cinnamon on its surface.

I prefer this recipe.

The milk pie that I make following this recipe is more compact and more stable than the one I make with the first recipe.

 Both recipes are widely used.