This is a seasonal Summer sweet and I’ve borrowed the basic recipe from Tess Mallos.

Oven temp: 190C or 375 F
Cooking time: 1 hour

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 thin strips of lemon rind
Piece of cinnamon bark
3 teaspoons of lemon juice

Method: 
1. Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat in a thick based saucepan. 
2. Add lemon rind and cinnamon bark and bring to the boil. 

3. Add lemon juice and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes. Do not stir once syrup is boiling.

4. Strain and leave to cool.

Custard:
4 cups milk. I used full cream milk.
3/4 cup cornflour
4 eggs, beaten
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essense
1/2 cup mashed ripe mango

Method and final preparation
1. Combine milk and cornflour in a heavy pan.
2. Blend in beaten eggs and add salt and sugar. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened and bubbling.

3. Add mashed mango.

4. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla essence and cover top of custard with buttered paper to prevent a skin forming.

5. Place kataifi on bench and gently separate the strands by hand.
6. Grease 20 x 28cm (8 x 11 inch) oven dish. I use an alfoil dish as this dish is usually a gift. 
7. Place half the kataifi over the base and press it so it’s compact. I place one layer of filo pastry on the base to keep the custand off the alfoil.

8. Pour the custard evenly on the base layer.
9. Place the remining layer of kataifi over the top of the custard.

10. Pour melted butter on the top layer.
11. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown.
12. Evenly spoon the cold syrup over the top of the hot dessert.

Tomorrow I’ll know if this worked – Merry Christmas everyone.