Laz böreği / Turkish Custard Pastry Dessert

Selam . Merhaba from Türkey.

‘Börek’ is usually savory, filled with meat or cheese or even vegetables.
But my today post is one of Turkish dessert called ‘Laz böreği’ (LAHZ’ buer-EY’-ee).
İt’s not savory borek that commonly known.

İt's a sweet dessert, made from layers of phyllo dough ( Türk; baklavalık yufka) and a filled with delish creamy vanilla custard.
The best way to describe ‘Laz böreği’ is like a baklava filled with rich vanilla custard instead of pistachio or nuts.

‘Laz’ is the nickname in Turkish given to people from Black sea region - where this dessert come from

What makes this dessert really unique is its secret ingredient – black pepper! ‘Laz böreği’ made the traditional way, has generous amounts of black pepper added to the custard.
But for my version İ added small pinch of nutmeg powder also to give richness to the custard, you can skip that or try my version.

The recipe is for 30 x 40 cm baking tray, fit with baklava phyllo size. But İf you have small family member you can half the recipe and cut phyllo in half. So you will need 15 x 20 cm baking tray.
This dessert best consume while still fresh and crunchy so you don't want too many left over.

So let's jump to the recipe and experience Turkish Black region's dessert.

Laz böreği / Turkish Custard Pastry Dessert

Recipe makes one 30 x 4 0x 4 cm baking tray

Half the recipe for 15 x 20 x 4 cm baking tray

İngredients:
For Custard

1 lt milk
200 gr sugar
2 egg yolks
80 g flour
40 gr cornstarch
pinch of black pepper powder
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg (most recipe didn't use it)
20 gr butter

For sugar syrup

400 gr sugar
350 ml water
1 wedge lemon

For pastry

30 sheet baklavalık yufka
300 gr butter, melted
100 ml canola oil/ olive oil

Method:

First, make the custard; Mix everything except butter in heavy bottomed sauce pan. Stir vigorously and mix to well blend. Turn on the stove on medium heat and cook until bubbling and thickened. Stir continuously to prevent burning at the bottom.

Turn off heat and stir in the butter. Mix to combine.

Cover with plastic film, try to press clingfilm on to the surface to prevent skin forming. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Make sugar syrup; Boil syrup ingredients and let it chill until ready to use.

Now how to assembly;

1) Pre heat oven at 180 °C. Mix melted butter and oil in a medium bowl.

Take your phyllo and working one sheet at a time. Lay one layer of the phyllo to the baking tray, sprinkle lightly with melted butter-oil every 2 sheets.

Continue until you have 15 layers.

Note: to prevent phyllo for drying, always cover the phyllo sheets with damp towel during working

İf you make half recipe you'll need only 15 sheets, cut the phyllo sheets in half fit to your tray (so you will have 30 sheets)

always cover your phyllo dough with damp towel

2) After 15 layers, pour the custard filling evenly, spread over the corner as well and smooth with the rubber spatula (pict #2)

3) Then continue lay phyllo sheet one at a time over the custard, sprinkle şlightly with melted butter every 2 layers until 15 sheets. İf you have your phyllo hang over from baking tray, just fold it inside the tray to make it tidy (see pict #3)

4) With very sharp knife / or cutter, cut it into uniform rectangles. However, don't cut all the way down, cut only first 5 or 6 sheets. Do not reach the custard! This will ensure only the top parts will rise when you bake it.

My husband helps me to cut our laz böreği but looks not really uniform rectangles shape 😞

5) Then Pour remaining melted butter evenly over the pastry. Bake in pre heated oven until golden brown on surface. İ forget to set my timer up... But İ think İ baked it around 35 to 45 minutes. Just watch your pastry not to get burnt.

6) Pour the sugar syrup over hot pastry and let it sit until room temperature.

Serve with chopped pistachio or other nuts.

Afiyet şeker Olsun. Enjoy. 😍