scratch-made baked goods
Pillowy soft and lightly sweet, these cinnamon raisin pumpkin buns are great for breakfast, brunch or as a snack. Freshly Baked Bread They say, happiness is the smell of freshly baked bread. Who am I to disagree? Seriously though, waking up to freshly baked bread …
Flaky puff pastry baked until golden brown, filled with fresh apples dipped in homemade salted caramel sauce and topped with a buttery, pecan crumble. Welcome Fall with these apple crumble danishes! This post is sponsored by The Fillo Factory but all opinions and thoughts are …
These small pumpkin hand pies are made with fresh pumpkin, raisins, walnuts and warm spices. Crispy and delicate, “Kolokythopita” is a great choice for Thanksgiving dinner!
Kolokythopita (Greek: Κολοκυθόπιτα) translates to pumpkin pie. The interesting part though, is that the word kolokythi in Greek is used to name zucchini, squash, pumpkin etc. In other words, all varieties of pumpkin and squash are called kolokythi. Pita (Greek: πίτα) means pie as you probably know from my previous recipe on the blog. There are many different variations of pita depending on the main ingredient used, such as tyro-pita (cheese pie), spanako-pita (spinach pie), galato-pita (milk pie) etc. The options are endless. If you google Greek kolokithopita, you will most likely find recipes for the savory version which features zucchini with feta cheese. However, it is the sweet version that appeals mostly to me. Fresh grated pumpkin, walnuts, raisins and warm spices are wrapped in phyllo dough to make this aromatic Greek dessert. I kept the best part for the end- no mixer is needed!
Typically, Greek pumpkin pie is made in a big baking sheet, but I find the hand pies (kolokythopites: plural for pumpkin pies) handier especially for family dinners. Additionally, I love the cute spiral shape. The recipe makes eight hand pies but you can double the recipe if you anticipate more guests. I used fresh pumpkin but butternut squash also works perfect. Any sweet pumpkin will fit this recipe.
Due to the high water amount in the pumpkin the most important step of the recipe is to remove it. You need to remove as much liquid as possible so you don’t end up with a soggy pie. There are different techniques to achieve this, such as using rice in the filling to absorb liquids, or simmering the grated pumpkin with sugar to evaporate the excess liquid. Forget both of them. The easiest and quickest way to squeeze out the liquid is by using a clean kitchen towel. After you grate the pumpkin, wrap it in a clean kitchen cloth, twist and squeeze. It won’t take more than five minutes and it is an excellent work out for your triceps as well! See the photos below for a better understanding.
[easy-image-collage id=1087]Work fast with the phyllo dough as it tends to dry fast as soon as you unwrap it. To prevent it from drying you can use a damp kitchen towel and cover it. Drizzle the melted butter instead of spreading it with a brush. This results to a dessert with more volume and a crunchier texture when baked. Fold loosely each hand pie otherwise not all parts will be baked evenly (especially the center). Attach the loose side of the pie to the baking pan. This way while baking the filling will remain in place.
If Greeks have a favorite spice this would be cinnamon. A quick look on the rest of my recipes and you will realize we use cinnamon almost in every dessert. Make sure your spices have not been opened for a long time. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger will aromatize the Greek pumpkin hand pies and give a more complex flavor combined with the walnuts and raisins.
The melted butter will add up to a flaky and rich phyllo dough. However, you can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting butter for extra virgin olive oil.
Without further dues, let’s make Greek pumpkin hand pies!
In a big bowl add the squeezed shredded pumpkin, chopped walnuts, raisins and orange zest.
Stir all together with a spoon till every ingredient is incorporated. Dispose any excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave and brush the bottom of two (33×23 cm) baking pans with some of the melted butter.
Spread the phyllo sheets carefully on the kitchen counter and drizzle some of the melted butter on top of the first phyllo using a brush. Do not touch the phyllo dough with the brush.
Add about three tablespoons of the filling lengthwise to the phyllo dough and spread it using a spoon. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom and each side of the phyllo.
Fold the bottom part of the phyllo dough and wrap into a log. Twist the end loosely and roll into a spiral shape. Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Follow this link https://www.instagram.com/reel/CH3bHuXF4nq/ for a mini video tutorial on how to shape the hand pies into spirals.
Place the Greek pumpkin hand pie into the pan. Attach the loose side of the pie to the baking pan. This way while baking the filling will remain in place. Continue the same procedure for the remaining hand pies. Place 4 pies on each baking pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or till golden brown and crispy. Alter the baking pans halfway. Remove from the oven and let them completely cool.
Dust some powdered sugar and cinnamon or drizzle some honey. Enjoy!
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Karidopita is a perfectly moist and fragrant all year round cake. It features a cinnamon and clove spiced filling and it is topped with a luscious chocolate ganache and chopped walnuts. What is Karidopita? Karidopita / Karithopita (Greek: Καρυδόπιτα) is a Greek dessert, made with walnuts …
These cinnamon flavored cookies have a crispy texture, balanced sweetness and they are sprinkled with brown sugar and extra cinnamon. The perfect fall cookies for cozy days! The Fall Leaves Homemade cookies are always a good idea! As the temperature is slowly dropping here in …
This scratch-made apple raisin crumble features caramelized cinnamon spiced apples, dark raisins and it is topped with a golden brown oats streusel!
Pumpkin seems to be everyone’s favorite ingredient for all fall recipes. Don’t get me wrong I do like pumpkin (take my pumpkin carrot cake for example). However, growing up in Greece all these fall pumpkin craziness wasn’t a thing. Apples on the other hand and more specifically the combination of apple with cinnamon feels really familiar to me. For this week I decided to share an easy apple raisin crumble featuring old fashion rolled oats for a chewier taste.
Yes, apple pie and apple tarts are great but what if you need something quick and easier to make? Don’t worry! If you follow all the steps you will enjoy a warm, chewy and crunchy apple raisin crumble in an hour!
First things first, you need good baking apples. I used organic Fuji apples but Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples work perfect as well. You could also use a mix of two or more apple varieties. Preheat the oven at 350 F. To start with, peel and slice the apples into thin slices. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
Moving forward, place a non-stick pan on the stove. Add the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
On medium-low heat let the sugar dissolve till it becomes light caramel. Do not stir till the sugar has completely dissolved and turned into golden brown.
Continue by adding the sliced apples, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. Lastly, pour the raisins and stir well. The whole process does not take more than 15 minutes. When all the ingredients are covered with caramel and the mixture is not too runny remove the pan from the heat.
Next, in a bowl add the flour, brown sugar and stir. I used dark brown sugar which tends to be lumpier, so using a fork I broke all the big chunks. Now, it’s time to add the butter in our mixture. If the butter is not cold enough you can pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Since this is a critical step do not omit to cool the butter well, because this will result in a soggy texture. Butter enhances both crispiness and browning of apple raisin crumble. Cut the butter into ½ inches pieces and add to the mixture.
Using your hands break the butter into small pieces till the mixture resembles wet sand and there are still pea sized crumps. Alternatively, you could use a food processor for the above step but I feel by using my hands I have better control of the texture.
Last but not least, add the oats, cinnamon and salt and give it a good stir. My version of apple raisin crumble uses toasted old fashioned oats. You might as well use homemade granola or muesli. Personally, I prefer using plain oats since they give the crumble an amazing texture and do not add up to the sweetness of the recipe.
Time to assemble the apple raisin crumble and off to the oven to bake. In a lightly 9’x9’ greased pan add the apple filling and using a spatula pat down the mixture so there are no big gaps. Spread the crumble. If you want you can sprinkle some extra cinnamon-sugar on top. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top gets golden brown.
I know, I know you want to have a slice right away but friends just be a little patient! Let the apple raisin crumble cool down on a cooling rack for approximately one hour. Serve it with a cold scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
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Did you make this recipe? Tag @siftnwhisk on Instagram and hashtag it #siftnwhisk.