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

These delectable koulourakia made with wine, olive oil, and spices are the perfect go-to when you want something subtly sweet during this long fasting period, and for you dunkers out there (that includes us!), they pair exceptionally well with coffee or tea. We’ve taken a traditional recipe and adapted it to vegan standards…and then we went a little overboard and added a chocolate-stripe variation, because we all need a little extra comfort sometimes. Make them with your kids, parents, siblings, and friends and share the beautiful love of baking up some sweet memories together!

​Simple, quick, flavorful, and fun are the baking orders of the day. These crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside cookies will have you asking if they’re really Lenten. They are, and, you’re welcome!
 
Kouzina Tip: The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks, so make it ahead to bake later or prepare the dough, bake half, and save the rest for another time.
 
PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus standing
BAKING TIME: about 20 minutes per batch
MAKES: 20 to 30 cookies (depending on the shape/size you make)
 
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup Greek sweet red wine (like Mavrodaphne) for dark cookies or Greek sweet white wine for light cookies (the color of the baked cookies will depend on the color of the wine and olive oil, see photos above)
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
 
1. In a large bowl, sift together 3 1/2 cups flour and the baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t over handle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/2 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Cover the dough with a clean dry kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes. (Can be made ahead. After resting, wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a resealable plastic storage bag, pressing out air, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Let stand at room temperature until softened enough to roll before continuing with recipe, 30 minutes to 1 hour.)
 
3. Line 2 large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them with vegetable shortening. Arrange 2 racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Heat oven to 350°F.
 
4. Briefly kneed dough before shaping. (If dough becomes oily at any time while making the cookies, kneed until oil is absorbed, then continue rolling out cookies.)
For a twist shape: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 4- to 5-inch rope, fold in half, and twist.
For S shape: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 5-inch rope, roll one end to the middle and roll the other end in the opposite direction to the middle.
 
5. Place cookies 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with water and sprinkle with sesame, if desired. Bake about 20 minutes (add 5 to 10 minutes for larger/thicker cookies), switching baking sheets up and down halfway through, until browned. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.
​

​For these Lenten black-and-white koulourakia twists, we’re basically dividing the Koulourakia with Wine ingredients in half and adding cocoa powder to the dry flour mixture for the chocolate dough (and making minor adjustments to the spices). Set up two sets of bowls and cups so you can measure out ingredients and make the two doughs simultaneously.
 
Kouzina Tip: The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks, so make it ahead to bake later or prepare the dough, bake half, and save the rest for another time.
 
PREP TIME: 15 minutes plus standing
BAKING TIME: about 20 minutes per batch
MAKES: about 30 cookies
 
WHITE-WINE DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Greek sweet white wine
*
CHOCOLATE DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Greek sweet red wine (like Mavrodaphne) for dark cookies or Greek sweet while wine for lighter cookies (the color of the chocolate part of the cookie will depend on the color of the wine and olive oil)
 
1. Make White Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups flour and the baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until all of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t overhandle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Make Chocolate Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/4 cups flour, the cocoa powder, and baking powder; make a well in center. To the well, add the olive oil and sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the cinnamon and zest. With orange juice in a cup, stir in the baking soda until dissolved and foaming; pour into well and whisk into the oil mixture. Whisk in the wine until all of the ingredients in the well are combined. Gradually stir in the surrounding flour until all is incorporated. Kneed the dough just until the dough is smooth, soft, and not sticky (don’t overhandle the dough). If sticky, gradually kneed in just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and can be rolled out into a smooth rope shape.
 
2. Cover each bowl of dough with a clean dry kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes. (Can be made ahead. After resting, separately wrap each dough tightly in plastic wrap and seal in a resealable plastic storage bag, pressing out air, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Let stand at room temperature until softened enough to roll before continuing with recipe, 30 minutes to 1 hour.)
 
3. Line 2 large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheets with vegetable shortening. Arrange 2 racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Heat oven to 350°F.
 
4. Briefly kneed dough before shaping. (If dough becomes oily at any time while making the cookies, kneed until oil is absorbed, then continue rolling out cookies.) Roll out about 1 tablespoon of each dough color into 3- to 4-inch ropes, place side by side and twist, tucking ends under, for a two-tone cookie.
 
5. Place cookies 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, switching baking sheets up and down halfway through, until cookies are browned. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. To give them a shine, while still warm, very lightly coat the tops with olive oil, then let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.
 
Recipes by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos
Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style  
 
More about Greek Orthodox Lenten cuisine can be found in our blog, Lenten Cuisine~A Faith Inspired Journey.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Lenten cookies. Recipes for other Lenten foods can be found in our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks. Stay tuned for future blogs on foods and customs relating to this Holy season of fasting and spiritual awakening.

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
 
Resources
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Great Lent

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