This recipe for Lenten Koulourakia (koo-loo-RAH-kyah) was given to me by Maria Athanasiou, a dear friend and adopted Aunt of my family. Her recipe uses vegetable oil and wine to flavor the twists, and produces a crisp and delicious cookie that is perfect for dunking in coffee. Maria recommends baking at 400 degrees but I […]

Recipes for Greek cookies include delicious voutimata (biscotti dunking cookies), sugary holiday confections, and those made with fabulous combinations of spices and nuts. Koulourakia – Greek Butter Cookies with Sesame The name for Koulourakia comes from their round twisted shape but you will also see them shaped as small braids or in the shape of the letter […]

The Greek island of Aegina is famous for its pistachio nuts and this cake is a fabulous combination of pistachio nuts and honey, perfect with coffee, tea, or milk.Use a standard loaf pan to make this cake, and set aside some shelled pistachios to garnish the top. The taste of thyme honey is ideal for this […]

In Greek: βασιλόπιτα, pronounced vah-see-LO-pee-tah Of all the Vassilopita recipes, I like this one the best for making at home because the texture is lovely (like a granular pound cake) and it lends itself to decoration. In four- and five-generation families, we jump at every chance to give younger members decorating opportunities! The recipe calls for self-rising flour. […]

In Greek: κεϊκ με καρότα, say: cake meh kah-ROH-tah Western style cakes have been popular in Greece since the mid-20th century, and this version of carrot cake with walnuts is delicious … but different than most carrot cakes that have become popular in the US. It has no frosting, and doesn’t contain the spices that […]

In Greek: κεϊκ, pronounced: cake Similar to a pound cake, this is a simple cake with a touch of orange flavor. It can be embellished with chocolate, nuts, raisins, or other additions to your taste, but this is the basic recipe. Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 4 cups of flour 2 cups of sugar 2 […]

Literally translated, Loli (loh-LEE) means “crazy one.” Despite the odd sounding name, there’s nothing crazy about this delicious sweet cake that is a specialty from the island of Sifnos. There’s no fancy prep work here, all the ingredients are basically thrown in to a bowl and mixed together. The end result is absolutely delightful and as an added bonus, […]

In Greek: μηλόπιτα, pronounced mee-LOH-pee-tah I use Golden Delicious apples in this recipe, but if you have a favorite apple you prefer for baking, use it. The recipe is easy to make, and uses olive oil, making it a great choice for those who don’t eat dairy products. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes […]

Greek cakes come in many varieties. Some are soaked in light scented syrups, and some are more along the lines of what you might call a “coffee cake.” These include spice and nut cakes, cheesecakes, and cake that resembles pound cake. Apple Coffee Cake – Milopita This delicious coffee cake is easy to make and, […]

These tender and delicious stuffed grape leaf rolls known as dolmathes (dol- MAH-thes) are stuffed with a hearty meat and rice filling and are commonly served as a main entree. The smaller, rice and pine nut filled dolmathakia (dol-mah-THAH-kya) are usually served as an appetizer or meze. Yield: About 40 Rolls Ingredients: 50 fresh grape leaves or 1 jar (16 […]