As we pop the cork on seven years of blogging, two cookbooks, and exciting new adventures on the horizon, we’re sharing a quick-and-easy dessert recipe, Greek No-Bake Cheesecake with Fruit—it’s our way of saying thank you for your follows, comments, and devotion.

Step into our kouzina and lets whip up a lucky-7 party!

​Velvety, decadent, and luscious with a fresh-fruit topping that’s easy to make and is whipped up in just 25 minutes, now that’s a dessert to celebrate! It requires chilling, so prep it in the morning or a day ahead. Greek and Mediterranean/European markets carry digestive biscuits for the crust but graham crackers also work.

KOUZINA TIP: Everything needs to be cold when making whipped cream, so chill your mixing bowl and beaters about 30 minutes before whipping the heavy cream.
 
TOTAL PREP TIME: 25 minutes plus chilling
SERVES: 8 to 10
 
1 cup blueberries, raspberries, and/or strawberries (some sliced, some whole), or fresh figs, quartered
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
*
CRUST
9 ounces digestive biscuits or graham crackers, ground (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup melted butter
*
FILLING
1 cup cold heavy cream
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) 5% Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons thyme honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
1. In a bowl, stir together the fruit and sugar until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or overnight.
 
2. Make crust: Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan or 8 to 10 muffin cups. In a bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and butter until combined well (there should be no dry crumbs). Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan or divide among the cups, pressing firmly. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
 
3. Make filling: In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium speed to stiff peaks; transfer to another bowl. In mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, yogurt, confectioners’ sugar, honey, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream until combined.
 
4. Pour the filling into the crust(s), smoothing top(s), and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Before serving, remove the sides of the springform pan (or peal off muffin cups), place cheesecake(s) on a serving platter, and top with fruit and their juices.
 
Recipe by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © 2020 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style  
 
Thanks for celebrating our website’s 7-Year Anniversary and for supporting us along the way. You’re an important part of our journey! I’ll be sharing more fun recipes in upcoming blogs, so check back to see what’s cooking at Kukla’s. For more about our Kukla’s Kouzina journey, visit our Coming Full Circle post. For photos of our foods, Kukla, us, and our next generation, visit our Gallery page.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
 
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!
 
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
 
Kelly

​Copyright © 2020 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

​As we pop the cork on six years of blogging, as well as for recently publishing two cookbooks, we thought we’d share a Greek dessert recipe, Pasta Flora (Frola), typically made for name days, birthdays, and anniversaries. Step into our kouzina and lets bake up a party!

Throughout Greece, when it’s time to celebrate a special occasion such as a name day, anniversary, or birthday, this is the go-to dessert that can easily be found in village bakeries. The crust is cookie-like, making it two desserts in one. Apricot and strawberry filings are favorites but you can use whichever flavor you prefer. We like marmalade or jam sweetened by the fruit, not by added sugar or syrup, for the freshest natural flavor. Baking in a tart pan with a removable bottom makes cutting the tart easier but if you’re using a one-piece dish or pie plate, there’s no need to line the outside with foil.
 
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 to 12
 
TART SHELL
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
*
1 1/2 cups (about 17 oz) jarred marmalade or jam, at room temperature
*
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
 
1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and wrap the outside with foil.
 
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
 
3. In a mixer bowl, beat the butter until creamed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined well. Beat in the brandy, extract, and peels.
 
4. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, work in the flour mixture just until smooth and a dough is formed. Do not over-kneed the dough as this would make the crust tough.
 
5. Divide the dough into two pieces, one half the size of the other. Place the larger piece in the tart pan and, using fingertips, evenly press to the edges and up the sides, extending the dough 2 inches beyond the pan rim (you can also roll this out on a lightly floured surface). Fill the tart with the marmalade, spreading evenly to the edges.
 
6. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll out the remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Weave the strips in a lattice pattern over the tart (if needed, trim the strips so they do not extend beyond the rim of the pan). Fold over the bottom crust overhang over the edge of the lattice strips, crimping to secure. Bake about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.) Slip off the pan’s outer ring and transfer the tart to a platter. Lightly dust the edges or the entire tart with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
 
Recipe by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style

Thanks for celebrating our website’s 6-Year Anniversary and for supporting us along the way. You’re an important part of our journey! I’ll be sharing more fun recipes in upcoming blogs so check back to see what’s cooking at Kukla’s. For more about our Kukla’s Kouzina journey, visit our Coming Full Circle blog. For photos of our foods, Kukla, us, and our next generation, visit our Gallery page.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
 
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!
 
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
 
Kelly

​Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

Rich in nutrients (vitamin A, potassium, iron)—in both fresh and canned—the natural sweetness of pumpkin makes it a healthy and tasty choice for a number of dishes: cubed and roasted to add to a salad tossed with feta, mashed with olive oil, shredded for a savory vegetable pie, and grated for this week’s Pumpkin Phyllo Pie dessert. A perfect ending to a Halloween or Thanksgiving meal!

Here’s a Greek pie with lots of options. If you don’t have a fresh pumpkin or time to grate it, this recipe can also be made with canned pumpkin (24 ounces equals 3 cups), just skip step 1 and start with step 2. If you don’t like nuts in the pie, try raisins. Once baked, you can either syrup the pie (top left) or sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and nuts (top right).
 
PREP TIME  40 minutes (plus chilling, optional)
BAKING TIME  40 minutes
SERVES  8
 
3/4 cup butter or extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups grated fresh pumpkin* (or one and a half 15-ounce cans)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup fine semolina
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup Greek thyme honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped, lightly toasted nuts (such as cashews, almonds, or walnuts) or raisins
·                
1 box (1 pound) #4 phyllo (14-by-18-inch), thawed, at room temperature
3/4 cup butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil
·                
SYRUP (optional)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Greek thyme honey
1 cinnamon stick
·                
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped, lightly toasted walnuts (optional)
 
1. In a large saucepot, melt 3/4 cup butter or heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the pumpkin, reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté until the liquid has evaporated and the pumpkin has softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, semolina, spices, and salt; set aside.
 
3. Stir the honey, maple syrup, eggs, and nuts (or raisins) into the pumpkin until combined well. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients until combined well. For optimal flavor, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
 
4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom of a 10-inch round baking pan with butter/oil and line with 10 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter/oil, allowing the phyllo to extend over the sides of the pan by at least 1 ½ inches.
 
5. Pour the pumpkin filling into the phyllo-lined pan and spread evenly to the edges.
 
6. Cover the top of the pie with 8 phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter/oil. Trim the excess phyllo, leaving a 1 ½-inch overhang. Roll together the top and bottom phyllo overhang under and into the sides of the pan. Brush the top with butter/olive oil and, using a sharp knife, score just the top phyllo layers into diamonds or squares. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is completely golden brown.
 
7. Make syrup (if syruping the pie): Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool to lukewarm.
 
8. When the pie is baked, remove from the oven and, following the precut phyllo pattern, using a sharp knife, immediately cut through the filling to the bottom. Gradually ladle the syrup over the pastry, evenly covering it to the edges and allowing it to soak in. Sprinkle with walnuts, if desired. Serve warm or cool the pie on a wire rack until the pan is just warm to the touch, then refrigerate it overnight.
 
9. In not syruping the pie, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top and sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.
 
*PUMPKIN NOTE: Use 2 1/4 pounds of raw, skin-on pumpkin to yield 3 cups. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and stringy portion before grating.
​
Recipe © copyright 2018 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, kuklaskouzina.com
 
I hope you enjoyed our Greek-style autumn baking with pumpkin. More recipes can be found in our Meze cookbook, available on Amazon! 

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
 
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!
 
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
 
Kelly

​Copyright © 2018 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos