Greek ekmek kataifi

Ekmek kataifi is a Greek dessert made with layers of kataifi  baked until crispy and golden, bathed in lemon or cinnamon scented syrup, topped with creamy thick custard and whipped cream and garnished with cinnamon, pistachios or walnuts. 

Also it has a vanilla aroma between the layers of creams and that makes it soooo…Yummy! 

I made it today because it is my father's name day. Let's see the ingredients below:
For the base:

• 250 gr kataifi dough
• 100 gr melted butter
• 100 gr walnuts chopped or pistachios. (You can also use almonds)
• cinnamon

For the syrop:

• 200 gr sugar
• 200 gr water
• 3-4 drops of lemon juice
• cinnamon

For the custard:

• 1,5 littre of milk
• 200 gr sugar
• 2 vanilla sticks
• 200 gr corn flour
• 2 eggs
• 50 gr butter

For the whipped cream:

• 500 ml cold whipping cream
• 70 gr icing sugar
• 1 vanilla stick

Instructions:

Start by making the base.

 Preheat the oven to 180 oC and unroll the kataifi dough from the plastic sleeve. Work the kataifi dough with your hands, tearing apart the shreds and spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together, in order to get fluffy.I used a pyrex bowl but you can also use a 24 cm square non-sticking baking dish.Butter the bottom of the baking dish and spread the kataifi dough to form the base of the ekmek kataifi. Pour over the melted butter and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until crispy and nicely coloured. Take the kataifi out of the oven and let it cool down completely.

Prepare the syrup for the ekmek kataifi.

 Add all the ingredients for the syrup into a small pot and bring to the boil. Simmer the syrup of 3 minutes (without stirring), until slightly thickened and remove from the stove. Leave the syrup aside to cool down for a while and pour it slowly over the cold baked kataifi pastry, enabling each ladle to be absorbed.  Spread evenly the half amount of your chopped nuts and the cinnamon and Set aside to cool down for a while.

For the custard, 

Add in a pot all the ingredients except the eggs and butter, and whisk until you have a cream . Remove from fire and add the butter and the eggs, stirring constantly. Cover the kataifi base with the custard cream using a spatula.

For the whipped cream, 

Put the cold heavy cream into a mixer’s bowl, add the icing sugar and whisk on high speed for about 2-3 minutes.

Cover the top of  the ekmek kataifi with the whipped cream and sprinkle with the other half amount of your chopped walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon.

Store the ekmek kataifi in the fridge and serve it cold.