• ½ package, 8 ouches phyllo dough
• ¼ cup butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons semolina
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup French feta cheese, grated
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the milk in a sauce pan and stir in semolina. When it lightly thickens, remove from heat and add all the remaining ingredients. The mixture will be soft but not too runny.
2. Cut the phyllo sheets into 2 to 2 ½ inch strips. Place one strip on a working surface, and brush with butter. Put a rounded teaspoon of cheese filling at one end. Fold the corner over the filling, forming a triangle. Keep folding back and forth into a triangle to the end of the strip.
3. When you have finished with the filling and shaping the triangles, fry the cheese pies (tiropitakia) in a very hot oil until golden. Serve while still warm.

Romama’s Note: This recipe makes 25-30 mini Cheese Pies. You can either refrigerate the Cheese Pies for one day or freeze up for 2 months before frying. If you freeze up the Cheese Pies, just thaw before frying.

Related recipes:

1. Tagliatelle with Spinach and Cheese
2. Leeks with Tomato and Cheese
3. Tomato Sauce with Eggs and Feta Cheese

For the dough:

• 2 ½ cups flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water

For the cream:

• 6 tablespoons corn flour
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

For the Taska cream:

• ½ cp almonds blanched sliced
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3-4 apples, peeled, halved and slice partway through, not all the way

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl – combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter and rub with your fingertips to blend. Add egg, water and knead until completely absorbed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a sauce pan – combine milk, sugar, corn flour and salt. Scrape out vanilla seeds and add to milk mixture. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until vanilla cream thickens. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the taska cream ingredients in a small sauce pan and stir over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture just reaches boiling point.
4. Roll out the dough and lay in a buttered tart pan. Pierce with a fork all over the surface of the dough. Bake in a preheated at 400 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. Let cool and spoon in vanilla cream. Arrange the apples and top with the taska cream. Bake the tart at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until the apples softened and the topping is golden brown.

Romama’s Note: Serve the Apple Tart preferably while still warm.

Related recipes:

1. Walnut Pie
2. Easy Cherry Pie
3. Boston Cream Pie (aKa The Kok)

For the English cream (Crème Anglaise):

• 2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon corn flour
• A pinch of salt – vanilla powder

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 5-6 medium size bananas, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds or almond flakes
• 1 9inch refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the English cream by heating milk in a sauce pan. In a bowl – beat egg yolk mixture while beating. Place the bowl with the cream mixture in a bain marie and stir until the cream is slightly thickened. Let cool and add vanilla powder.
2. Place the pie crust into a buttered baking dish covering the bottom and up the sides. Poke holes with a fork on the bottom of the crust and bake for 10 minutes on 425 degrees F. Remove from the oven.
3. Spread apricot jam over the crust. Cover with banana slices, raisins and half the almonds. Spread all of the cream over bananas and sprinkle the remaining almonds over the top.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Romama’s Note: Dust the Almond Banana Cream Pie with 2 teaspoons of confectioners’ sugar!

Related recipes:

1. Banana Crepes
2. Almond Crumb Cherry Pie
3. Boston Cream Pie (aKa The Kok)

• 2 pounds fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 6-7 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
• 12 phyllo dough sheets
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil for brushing

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the chopped spinach in a colander and season with salt. Squeeze as much liquid as possible. Let drain and squeeze again.
2. In a large bowl – add the spinach, green onions, eggs, feta cheese and mix well. Season with pepper (do not season with salt before tasting).
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 13×12 inch baking dish. Take a small bowl and fill half with water and half with olive oil. Line the phyllo sheet in the baking dish allowing excess phyllo to drape over the sides and lay in folds on the bottom. Brush with the olive-water mixture. Repeat with five more phyllo sheets.
4. Spread the filling evenly and dot with the butter. Cover the filling with the 6 remaining phyllo sheets brushing between each phyllo sheet with the oil-water mixture. Trim the top layers of phyllo with that of the bottom layer. Form a rim by rolling the phyllo edges inward (if the excess phyllo sheets are dry brush with some more oil-water).
5. Brush the top layer with oil-water. Use a sharp knife to cut the pie into square pieces and bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 1 hour until golden brown on both sides. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Romama’s Note: Serve the Spanakopita while still warm for better taste!

Related recipes:

1. The Easiest Greek Galaktoboureko Recipe (Milk Pie)
2. Spinach Balls
3. Tagliatelle with Spinach and Cheese

For the dough:

• 1 glass corn oil
• 1 glass water
• 1 glass parmesan, grated
• 2 pounds all purpose flour
• Salt

For the filling:

• 2 potatoes, boiled and peeled and mashed
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 ounces margarine
• ½ cup whole milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a casserole add the water and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the oil and grated parmesan. Gradually fold in the flour until a soft dough is formed (you may use a little more or a little less flour). Cover the dough and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the filling by mixing mashed potatoes, eggs, feta cheese, margarine and milk.
4. Separate the dough into 2 pieces and roll out both on a floured working surface. Oil a baking dish and lay the first dough. Evenly spread the potato filling and cover with the second dough. Press the bottom and the covering layer of dough all around the sides to seal. Prick with a fork several times over the pie to allow steam to escape while baking.
5. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown.

Romama’s Note: Using the same dough recipe, you can also make boreks or any small pie with the potato filling.

Related recipes:

1. Tiropitakia – Cheese Pie Triangles
2. Lamb Pie
3. Spinach Pie or (The Greek Spanakopita)

• 3 pounds lamb, boneless leg or shoulder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup long grain rice
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 pastry dough sheets, homemade or store bought

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the lamb into 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes. Sauté the garlic in the butter, add meat and let brown well. Add wine and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add ½ cup water, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, covered, until the meat is tender (cooking time with depend on the meat. If more water is needed, add boiling water – not cold). Add chopped tomatoes, parsley and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in rice and cheese. Taste before seasoning with salt and pepper. Let aside to cool.
3. Roll out the 2 pastry dough sheets to 16-inch rounds. Well butter a 14 inch pie dish. Gently drape the first round dough with some overhang around the edges. Spoon the meat filling and spread evenly. Top with the second round dough. Fold any excess dough around the edges to form a rim and prick with a fork. Carefully cut a 2-inch square opening in the center of the top dough to allow steam to escape during baking. If the filling dries during the baking, add some meat broth or water through the opening. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Romama’s Note: Serve the Lamb Pie while still warm!

Related recipes:

1. The Easiest Greek Galaktoboureko Recipe (Milk Pie)
2. Spinach Pie or (The Greek Spanakopita)
3. Potato Pie (Pasteliko de Masa Fina)

• 12 sheets of thawed phyllo dough
• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 4 cups of water
• 1 slice of lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 °F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the beaten eggs, the oil, the sugar, the baking powder, and the vanilla powder, in the yogurt, until they all mix together nicely.
3. Lightly oil a 13×9 inch glass or ceramic dish. Place the phyllo sheets crumpled, creating a ruffled surface and covering the baking dish. When all sheets of phyllo dough have been used, pour of the yogurt mixture. Let it stand for 10 minutes to moister the sheets of phyllo.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Meanwhile, prepare a syrup with 4 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar, and 1 slice of lemon.
5. When the Galaktoboureko is cool, spoon the syrup all over it. Let it stand to absorb the syrup.
6. Cut into squares.

Romama’s Note: You can serve the Galaktoboureko either warm or cold.

Related recipes:

1. Spinach Pie or (The Greek Spanakopita)
2. Greek Meatballs or Keftedakia
3. Bumuelos or Bunuelos

For the Pie:

• 5 egg yolks
• 5 egg whites, beaten until firm with a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
• ¾ glass sugar
• ¾ glass self rising flour sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ glass of whole milk

For the Chocolate Icing:

• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 ounces margarine
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• For the Pastry Cream:
• 2 glasses of whole milk
• 4 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons of flour
• 5 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees °F
2. In a large bowl – beat the egg whites with salt and sugar on medium to high speed until firm peaks form.
3. In another bowl – beat egg yolks, one at a time, alternating with flour on low speed until combined. Add vanilla powder. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg white mixture and gently fold in. Pour the batter in a 9 inch greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Invest onto a serving plate and cut it in half horizontally.
4. In a medium sauce pan – heat the milk and sugar. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and add cornstarch and flour while whisking until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly and gently fold in the egg whites. Cover the surface with a plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it chill for at least 1 to 2 hours before using.
5. Drizzle both cake layers with milk. Spread the bottom layer with the pastry cream and top with the second layer.
6. Prepare the chocolate icing by melting the margarine and stir in all the ingredients but the egg yolk. When the mixture is smooth and well combined, stir in the egg yolk. Pour chocolate icing over the cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Romama’s Note: You can also make mini chocolate Boston Cream Pie bites (or Koks) by baking the batter in cupcake foils or muffin tin. You should just reduce baking time to 15 minutes. Instead of pastry cream, you can also fill the cake with whipped cream.

Related recipes:

1. Almond Banana Cream Pie
2. Walnut Pie
3. Apple Tart

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 5oz dark chocolate
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs, separate egg yolks from egg whites
• Vanilla powder
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 9inch refrigerated pie crust or homemade pie crust

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place milk, dark chocolate and flour in a bain marie. Keep stirring the mixture over boiling water until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks one by one. Add vanilla powder and half the walnuts.
3. Beat egg whites until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until the whites just hold stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites into the milk – chocolate mixture.
4. Butter a tart pan and press pie crust evenly over its bottom and up the sides. Spoon in the mixture and decorate with the remaining half walnuts.
5. Bake for 40 minutes.

Romama’s Note: A Walnut Pie is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Related recipes:

1. Boston Cream Pie (aKa The Kok)
2. Almond Banana Cream Pie
3. Fish Fillets in Matzo Walnut Sauce (Pesche en Salsa)

• 1,75 pounds of pitted cherries (if canned – allow to drain first)
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1 ½ cup milk
• A pinch of salt
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Well butter a 9 inch baking dish. Place cherries in the baking dish.
2. In a bowl – beat the eggs with the sugar. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. While beating the eggs, add flour until a smooth batter forms. Pour the batter over the cherries.
3. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees °F. Remove from the oven, dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve while still warm.

Romama’s Note: The Easy Cherry Pie can be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to further enhance the taste!

Related recipes:

1. Almond Crumb Cherry Pie
2. Almond Banana Cream Pie
3. Boston Cream Pie (aKa The Kok)