Traditional Greek Dessert Recipes

These traditional Greek dessert recipes are surprisingly easy to make and well worth the effort. Be sure to try the recipe for homemade Greek baklava. It's a definite winner!

Also, the old fashioned Greek spice cookies and the Easter cakes are easy to make and simply delicious.

Pam's Traditional Greek Dessert Recipes

Submitted by Pam, South Africa

Easy Greek Baklava Recipe

This is a Greek Baklava recipe that a friend of mine gave to me. I would definitely use store-bought filo (phyllo) pastry — I'm not that dedicated! ;-)

However, there's a bonus recipe for homemade Filo Pastry included should you want to make it from scratch. —Pam

Ingredients:

Filo pastry
2-1/2 cups Butter
350 grams (12 ounces) Walnuts, coarsely chopped
420 grams (1-1/4 cups) Sugar
1/2 cup Water
Lemon juice

Method:

Cut the filo pastry to fit the baking dish. Place 2 sheets on at a time, brush with butter, and sprinkle with nuts for each layer. You will need about 12 sheets for each dish.

Cut into serving pieces and then bake in a moderate 375°F oven (180°C) for about 45 minutes, until golden. Drain off the excess fat twice during baking.

Syrup:

Prepare a syrup using the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Spoon this syrup over the baklava immediately after removing from the oven and draining off the fat.

Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy.

Homemade Filo Pastry Recipe

Ingredients:

350 grams (12 ounces) flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Salt

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and knead until smooth. Put dough aside and rest for 1 hour. Proceed to roll and stretch (beat with a rolling pin and lash against the table).

When the dough is paper-thin, brush it with melted butter before adding ingredients.

Traditional Greek Dessert Recipes

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (c.1920s)

Greek Spice Cookies

2 cups olive oil
1/4 pound margarine (or butter)
1 cup orange juice
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Flour, enough
2 cups honey
Chopped Nuts & Powdered Sugar for sprinkling

Method:

1. Heat the oil over low flame and combine all other ingredients except flour, honey, and nuts. Add enough flour to make a mixture about like pastry dough.
2. Shape into crescent shaped cookies, place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake in 350°F oven 30 to 40 minutes.
3. While still warm, dip into a mixture of 2 cups honey heated with 1 cup water. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and powdered sugar.

Enjoy as a Christmas treat or perfect for serving anytime. —Yuletide Favorites c.1950s

Little Greek Cakes

Mix 1/2 pound of butter and 1 cup of sugar to a cream; add 4 well-beaten eggs and the grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon. Then stir in 1/2 pound of flour and work into a smooth dough.

Lay on a well-floured baking-board and roll out thin. Cut into fancy shapes and bake in a moderate oven (375°F) until done. Cover with white icing, flavored with vanilla. —365 Foreign Dishes, 1908

Traditional Greek Dessert Recipe

With a Saucepan Over the Sea (1902)

Tcheureks / Greek Easter Cakes

Mix 4-1/2 ounces butter with an equal amount of sugar, add 5 eggs well beaten, 1 cup of milk, 2 ounces yeast, and 10 ounces of flour.

Let it rise for 2 hours, form into shape of large fleur-de-lis, or 3-pointed flower, to represent the Holy Trinity. Ice with sugar, and bake 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Don't leave before trying these traditional Greek dessert recipes. Like all Greek foods, these desserts are very delicious. Πολύ νόστιμο!