Greek Recipes

Greek and Cypriot recipes

Cheese Crescents – Kalitsounia me Mizithra – Cretan

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 pound ricotta cheese (known as fresh myzithra)
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil or (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup water (more if needed)
Kalitsounia me Mizithra (Cheese Crescents)

Kalitsounia me Mizithra (Cheese Crescents)

Method:

  • Place the flour in a medium size bowl, add 1 tbsp of salt, the butter or olive oil and mix well until it looks like oatmeal.
  • Add enough water so that the dough does not stick in your hands when kneading it turns into smooth dough.
  • Cover the bowl with the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
  • Place the ricotta or fresh myzithra cheese in a medium size bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp of salt and mush and mix them well.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough with a rolling pin into about 1/8 thick.
  • With a tea saucer (which is about 4 inch in diameter), or a pastry cuter, cut as many pieces as you can.
  • Collect all the cut off dough, knead it again, roll it out and cut some more round pieces.
  • Place a full tbsp of filling in the center of the circle, fold over to form a half moon.
  • Using a brush wet the round ends (on the inside) and with a fork or a pastry crimper, crimp the ends.
  • Place each pastry made on a greased baking pan.
  • Brush all the pastries with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Kalitsounia me Mizithra (Cheese Crescents) can be served hot, warm or cold.
  • Kalitsounia me Mizithra (Cheese Crescents) can also be fried instead of baking.
  • Kalitsounia me Mizithra (Cheese Crescents) are great as a meze (appetizer) with a nice Greek Red Wine or Ouzo.

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