Last week we featured our recipe for homemade drained yogurt, and this week we’ll show you how to use it in an exceptional pastry with feta, honey, thyme, and sesame seeds. Dessert perfection~Greek Island style!

​Authentic ingredients are key for quality results, so use imported sheep’s-milk feta and Greek thyme honey. Work quickly when using phyllo dough, keeping it covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out between uses. When folding the pastry, don’t fold too snuggly and it may cause the packets to burst while baking.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes (plus time for making yogurt)
BAKING TIME: 25 to 30 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
 
FILLING
5 ounces feta, crumbled
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons thyme honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
*
4 (9-by-14-inch) #4 or #5 sheets phyllo dough, at room temperature (if frozen, thawed according to package directions)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
About ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
About ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds, for garnish
 
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. In a bowl, mix together the feta, yogurt, egg, honey, and thyme leaves until combined well.
 
2. Place 1 phyllo sheet on your work surface with the wide end facing you. Brush with butter and fold over horizontally to form a 9-by-7-inch rectangle and brush with butter. Place one quarter of the filling on the end closest to you, leaving a 2-inch border and fold in the sides; brush the sides with butter. Fold the phyllo end closest to you over the filling and continue folding to the end of the phyllo to form a packet; brush all over with butter. Place packet, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, filling, and seeds to make 3 more packets.
 
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until phyllo is golden brown. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve immediately.
 
Recipe by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style  
 
For other recipes using Greek yogurt, check out our blogs:
Greek Chocolate Love featuring Chocolate Soufflés with Greek Yogurt
Mediterranean Diet Resolution Recipes: Sweet Success featuring Berry-Oat Parfait

Greek Yogurt is also featured in our Tzatziki recipe, from our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks, on Amazon.

To learn more about Cheesefare Week, check out our blog on Greek Cheese~Delectable Varieties & Uses.

I hope you enjoy making this week’s yogurt pastry. Stay tuned for more Greek recipes in upcoming blogs.
 
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 © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

​When yogurt is called for in Greek cooking, it’s drained (strained) Greek sheep’s-milk yogurt, which is the consistency of cream cheese. Sheep’s-milk yogurt is sweeter and creamier than cow’s-milk and is available in Greek markets and gourmet shops. You can also use thick Mediterranean-style sheep’s-milk or cow’s-milk yogurt, available in supermarkets and specialty food stores throughout the United States. Following is our recipe for homemade drained yogurt, a simple and tasty way to DIY.

16 ounces (2 cups) plain whole-milk yogurt
 
Line a fine mesh sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Place the yogurt in the cheesecloth, gather up the sides, and tie them together with kitchen string. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the yogurt drain in the refrigerator until very thick, 2 to 4 hours or overnight (discard the water that collects in the bowl). Makes 8 ounces (1 cup) Drained Yogurt (32 ounces of undrained yogurt makes 16 ounces of Drained Yogurt).
 
Serve with a drizzle of honey, toasted walnuts or sesame, and/or fruit, or use in your favorite recipes.
 
Recipe by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina, LLC
 
For recipes using Greek yogurt, check out our blogs:
Greek Chocolate Love featuring Chocolate Soufflés with Greek Yogurt
Mediterranean Diet Resolution Recipes: Sweet Success featuring Berry-Oat Parfait

Drained Yogurt is also featured in our Tzatziki recipe, from our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks.

I hope you enjoy making your own homemade yogurt. Stay tuned for more Greek cooking techniques and how-tos in upcoming blogs.
 
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 © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

There’s no denying that when it comes to love, chocolate is the ultimate food pleasure. Chocolate and joy go hand-in-hand, and when you’re filled with joy, you love longer. Whether you’re celebrating with your sweetheart, family, or dear friends, this soufflé is an ideal way to spread joy and show how much you adore them!
 
To go all out with a heart theme, you can use heart-shaped ramekins or cut out a paper heart, place it in the middle of the baked soufflé, and dust confectioners’ sugar over the top, then remove the paper for an easy way to say I love you!

​Dark chocolate, coffee, almond essence, and thick Greek yogurt combine to create this deliciously intense dessert. The perfect match for a passionate heart!
 
PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus standing
COOK/BAKE TIME: about 25 minutes
MAKES: 6 servings
 
Unsalted butter, for ramekins
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for ramekins
8 ounces bittersweet (60% cacao) dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1/2 cup plain reduced-fat (2%) Greek yogurt
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
6 large egg whites, at room-temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
 
Confectioners’ sugar, for sifting
Ripe berries, for serving
 
1. Generously butter six 6-ounce ramekins (if using 5-ounce ramekins, you’ll need seven; if using 4-ounce ramekins, you’ll need eight), coating the rims, then sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, turning the ramekins to coat (like flouring a cake pan). Tap out excess sugar. Transfer the ramekins to a rimmed baking sheet.
 
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chocolate and coffee in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the water should not touch the bowl). Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand until slightly cooled, about 10 minutes.
 
3. Whisk the yogurt into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then whisk in the egg yolks and extracts until combined well.
 
4. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed to soft peaks. Gradually add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks (do not overbeat).
 
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the egg-white mixture into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining egg-white mixture in two batches, gently folding all the way to the bottom to incorporate the whites without deflating, until hardly any white streaks are visible.
 
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling completely and gently tapping the ramekins to settle the batter. Using a dough scraper or the back of a knife, scrape the edge over the tops of the ramekins to level, resulting in a flat top on the baked soufflés. Immediately bake the soufflés until puffed and risen above the top of the rims, 12 to 15 minutes. Dust each with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately with berries.
​
Recipe by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, kuklaskouzina.com  
 
I hope you enjoy this week’s post and that your Valentine’s Day, and every day, is overflowing with Greek Chocolate Love !
 
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 © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

When you think chocolate, the first (or second) thing that comes to mind is probably not Greek dessert. And why should it? Classic (or should I say original) Greek confections aren’t made with chocolate and they taste amazing just the way they are, so naturally you’d think, why try to improve on perfection? Well, even the Greeks have discovered that almost everything (we’re talking sweets, not spanakopita) is better with chocolate. If you’ve recently visited a Greek pastry shop, you already know that chocolate has found yet another welcoming new home, and it's love at first sight for the delighted shoppers!

During my visits to Greek bakeries like Lefkos Pyrgos Café and Titan in Astoria, NY, I found chocolate was used simply, as a drizzle or a filling (or both) in pastries like baklava and flogeres (nut rolls), or infused into the batter of karidopita (syrup-drenched walnut cake), or was more inventively used for dipping the pastries before sprinkling them with nuts. It was even incorporated into koulourakia dough to create a Greek version of a black-and-white cookie…with a twist!

If you’re jonesin’ for chocolate but you feel like making something Greek, you CAN have it both ways. Try the following tips to turn your Greek treat into a 2-for-1 indulgence, starting with a simple drizzle and ending with pure decadence.

NOTE: Start with good-quality bittersweet or semisweet dark chocolate—it's what we prefer for taste, plus it’s the healthier option.

1. Chocolate-drizzle up your baklava or nut rolls (this works on store-bought pastries too!):

~Let them cool completely after you’re done adding the syrup. 

~Melt a couple of ounces of chocolate (we love dark bittersweet to offset the intense sweetness of the pastry), then spoon it into a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/8-inch hole from one of the corners. Twist the top of the bag to press the chocolate down to the snipped tip.

~Hold the tip about 1 inch above the area you want to cover and, while pressing the chocolate down, pipe the chocolate in a zigzag pattern over the pastry. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect. It doesn’t have to. That’s the beauty of drizzling. The less perfect it is, the more unique it appears, so have fun with it.

​
2. Not chocolaty enough? Make Choclava!

~When assembling your nut rolls or baklava, drizzle chocolate on the inside or sprinkle each layer with chocolate chips.

~Then bake, syrup, cool, and finish with a top drizzle.

3. The ultimate chocolate-dip treatment for nut rolls:

~Hold a nut roll by one end and dip it one-third of the way into a bowl of melted chocolate. Remove and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

~Place the roll on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and immediately sprinkle the chocolate with toasted almond slices. Repeat with the remaining rolls, keeping them one inch apart.

~Let the rolls cool at room temperature until firm. Don’t refrigerate, as that would cause the phyllo to soften and you want it to remain crisp. 

4. Have your Greek chocolate cake and eat it too!
To infuse a cake like karidopita, add cocoa powder to the dry flour mixture (swap out one-quarter of the flour with an equal amount of unsweetened cocoa powder), and/or fold in a handful of mini chocolate chips (or more, depending on the size of your cake or your taste) before pouring the batter into the baking pan.

5. A twist of chocolate: For koulourakia (below left), make two batches of dough, adding cocoa powder to the dry flour mixture (as in #4 above with the karidopita) to one of the batches. Per your recipe, roll out both dough colors into ropes, place one of each side by side and twist for a two-tone cookie.

6. Dust of chocolate: Another simple and elegant chocolate treatment can be accomplished by adding a light dusting of sweetened cocoa powder over your pastry or cake before serving (above right).

7. A chocolate sip: It’s more than just dessert! I came up with this idea while I was testing our recipes and experimenting, and decided it was time for a coffee break. Being in a creative mood, I thought it would be fun to try a spin on Greek demitasse. The luscious result is what I dubbed a mocha-tasse™.

~Start with Greek demitasse coffee poured into cups.

~Finely grate a touch of dark chocolate and sprinkle it over the coffee or dust it with sweetened cocoa powder. If desired, finish by sifting just a pinch of confectioners’ sugar on top to brighten it up. (Don’t stir or you’ll bring up the grounds from the bottom.) Sip, sigh, smile!

I hope you enjoy this week’s When Greek Meets Chocolate and that it kicks your taste for Greek desserts up to an all-time high.

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 © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos