For Easter: Delightful Cheese-Filled Melitinia

For Easter: Delightful Cheese-Filled Melitinia

Recipe for a delightful Easter dessert of the isles of the Cyclades.

Photo: Melitinia a cheese-filled traditional Easter dessert of the Cyclades.

At Easter, the culinary tradition features a range of desserts from the must-Easter sweet bread tsoureki and butter cookies, koulourakia.

On the isles of the Small Cyclades it is customary to include melitinia (small cheese-filled tarts) that are served for about 40 days after Easter.

This is recipe was provided to us by our friends at Schinoussa.

Serving size: approximately 35 sweets

Ingredients:


for the phyllo dough:

  • 1 glass of warm water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 shot glass of the spirit tsikoudia or tsipouro or ouzo
  • 1 kilo (self rising) flour

for the filling:

  • 1 kilo (soft) mitzithra cheese (alternate: anthotyro)
  • ½ kilo sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 
2 little powder shots of vanilla
  • ½ tsp mastic powder

Preparation:


  • Prepare the filling first: Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix slowly until all ingredients are combined (for faster results you may use a hand mixer on slow speed).
  • Phyllo dough:
 In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the phyllo and mix into a dough. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
  • When the dough is ready, spread the dough with a rolling pin and with a glass, carefully cut out round pieces.
  • Place a 1 tbsp of the filling inside each round piece of dough and turn up the edges creating a form of a basket.
  • Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
  • Garnish with cinnamon. Cool and serve.

SOURCE

Share This

About the author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

* Copy This Password *

* Type Or Paste Password Here *