Bougatsa - Crispy Filo Pastry Filled With Warm Custard Cream

For The Cream:

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. In a cooking pot add milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium-high heat.
3. Once milk reaches a boiling point remove from heat. Using a ladle, start pouring milk slowly, into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
4. Incorporate half the milk into the eggs and then transfer the mixture back to the pot.
5. Transfer pot back to the heat and keep whisking until cream thickens.
6. Set cream aside while you prepare the base.

For The Base:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
2. Lay open the filo stack on your working surface.
3. Grease a 15x10 inch / 38x25 cm baking dish with melted butter.
4. Take one filo sheet and gather it up together (to make it look wavy) to the corner of the dish. Repeat process with 4 more filo sheets to cover the whole bottom of the dish.
5. Drizzle using the ⅓ of the melted butter.
6. Bake filo for 5 minutes or until it gets a golden color all over on top.
7. Remove from the oven and spread the cream evenly on top.
8. Add the remaining filo sheets exactly the same way as you did for the base. You may tear a filo sheet apart in order to fill empty spaces.
9. Drizzle remaining butter on top.
10. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until filo looks crispy and deep golden in color.
11. Set pastry aside for 10-15 minutes.
12. Dust with plenty of icing sugar and cinnamon. Ready to cut and serve!