Greek chocolate custard pie

For the syrup

• In a pot, add the sugar, water, cinnamon, honey, and the orange cut in half.
• Transfer over medium heat and boil for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar melts.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the cream

• In a pot, add the milk, half of the sugar, the vanilla extract, and transfer over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
• Add the semolina, salt, and mix constantly with a hand whisk until the cream thickens. Remove from the heat.
• Add the butter, the chocolate couverture cut into pieces, and mix well until the ingredients are melted and homogenized.
• In a mixer’s bowl, add the cream and beat with the paddle attachment for 5-7 minutes at low speed, until it cools. Transfer into a bowl.
• In a clean mixer’s bowl, add the eggs, the remaining sugar, and beat with the whisk attachment at high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.
• Transfer the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture in batches, and mix with a spatula. Set aside.

To assemble

• Preheat the oven to 160^ο C (320^ο F) set to fan.
• Butter a 25x32 cm baking pan.
• Spread one phyllo sheet and drizzle with butter. Add 2 more sheets in a crisscross manner, and drizzle with butter. Follow the same process until you have 7 sheets at the bottom of the baking pan.
• Pour all of the filling and spread it in order to cover the whole surface of the baking pan.
• Cover with the remaining 7 sheets, in the same way that you spread them at the bottom of the pan.
• Fold, in a backwards manner, the sheets that stick out of the pan, in order to crimp the edges. Score into 12 pieces and pour the remaining butter.
• Bake for 1 ½ hours. Remove and pour the cold syrup slowly with a ladle.
• Allow 30-60 minutes for the whole syrup to be absorbed.
• Serve with coarsely chopped hazelnuts, melted praline couverture, and mint leaves.