Let’s start with the sugar syrup. In a saucepan add the sugar (700 g) and the water (500 ml) and put on medium heat. Once the liquid boils, let it “bubble” for another 6-8 minutes. When it is ready, add half of the lemon juice and the cinnamon stick (if you like cinnamon, of course!).

At the same time, put aside 250 ml of the milk and 100 g of the sugar, as you you put the rest (1 250 ml milk and 50 g sugar) on medium heat. Also, add the zested lemon and the vanilla (1 tsp).

While this mixture is running on the boiling contest, in a big bowl mix the eggs (4), the yolks (2), and the rest of the sugar (100 g) for 5 minutes. When ready, add the milk (250 ml) and the semolina (200 g) until it all turns out to be a fluffy cream. Ladle by ladle, start adding the milk from the stove but keep mixing at the same time. When you see the temperature is rising, you can add the whole milk in and put it back on low heat. 

Do not stop stirring the mixture until it thickens. When it looks ready, start adding the butter (60 g – but do not mix this time, let it melt). This way it will create a defense wall on top of the mixture, not letting it get a crust, which we do not want. 

Melt the rest of the butter (190 g). Prepare a baking tray (form to your likings) and start laying the pastry sheets in it. For the first layer, put 7 pastry sheets, as you coat it with butter very well. 

What you should do next, is pour the cream in (mix in beforehand) and level it with the tray. 

Repeat the process with the rest of the pastry sheets and cut the excess pastry from the sides of the tray (if there is any), leaving just 1 cm hanging. Roll it back to the inside and cut the ready product to desired forms (we did it in small rectangles as you can see in the image). Bake it at 180 °C (350 °F) for an hour, when it gets a golden crust, cover with aluminum foil.

When the dessert is ready, take it out of the oven and pour all over it the sugar syrup, which is already cold. Let the ready product cool down completely and put it in the fridge (as it is the most delicious when it is super cold!). 

We recommend serving it with a few lemon slices, or a cup of home-made lemonade.

Also, if you prefer orange or any other citrus, do not hesitate to substitute the lemon with it!