Kaltsounia


Kaltsounia are a Cretan cheese pastry. Our mother, being from the island of Crete, used to make these all the time and we would gobble them up just as fast as she could make them.  There are many variations depending on what part of Crete you’re from. They are traditionally sweet cheese pastries but mom used to make them savory. And they are usually made with fresh Mitzithra (not the hard, salty Mitzithra most of us know) or Manouri but we made them with Ricotta, as Ricotta is much easier to find here. We used part skim to lower the fat.  We also made our own quick dough but you can certainly use store bought dough or maybe grab some from your favorite bakery if you don’t have the time to make it yourself. You can also add fresh mint or spinach for extra nutrition. These are one of our favorite treats! Enjoy!

 


Kaltsounia

A delicious Cretan delicacy that our mom used to make!

Serves: 4  |  Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

For the dough:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. dry active yeast
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • ⅔ cups water 

For the filling:

  • 15 ounce container ricotta cheese 
  • ½ pound feta cheese 
  • 1 egg 
  • 2 tbls. finely chopped parsley 
  • 1 egg 
  • sesame seeds 

Steps:

For the dough:

  1. Mix 1 cup of the flour with all the other ingredients.  Gradually add the 2nd cup of flour, mixing as you go until it is well combined.

  2. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it comes together.  Form into a ball and let rest in a lightly oiled covered bowl for about 15 minutes.

For the filling:

  1. While dough is resting, in large bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling. Set aside.

  2. Roll out into a large square on a lightly floured surface and cut into 8 - 12 even squares.  The size depends on how big or small you want them. Try and make all the squares equal in size.

  3. Add a spoonful of filling to each square.  Don’t over fill or all the cheese will ooze out. Fold each corner toward the middle to form a square pocket.  Wet each corner with a little water and pinch the four corners in the middle to secure.

  4. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Brush each with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  5. Bake at 375° for about 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.