Loukoumades (dumplings) 

4 tsp yeast
2 cups flour
1 short tsp salt
Oil
Thyme honey
Cinnamon
Sesame seeds
Thin the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix the flour with the salt and put it in a deep ball. Add the yeast and an extra cup of warm water and mix well until you make a uniform thin paste. Cover and leave in the shade for ~1 1/2 hour until it rises and forms bubbles under the surface. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and pour your mix in, one large spoonful at a time. The mix will form round dumplings. Remove them with a strainer/ladle when they darken a little. Pour honey over them, cinnamon and the sesame seeds.

 Baklava

1 lb filo pastry
7/8 lb almonds (ground)
2 tsp cinnamon
A pinch of clove
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup thyme honey
lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
Mix the almonds, cinnamon and clove. Butter a pan and place 4 buttered sheets of Filo. Spread a thin layer of the mix and then two more sheets of Filo. Repeat until you have 4 sheets left, which you use for the top layer. Cut the baklava in squares, all the way to the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining butter and bake in medium oven for about 45 minutes.
Mix the sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and 1 1/2 cup of water in a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Remove any froth off the top and pour over the baklava. Serve cold.

 Melomakarona

150 ml olive oil
80 g sugar
4 tablespoons brandy
juice of 1 orange
½ teaspoon cinnamon
400 g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda Syrup: 1 teacup honey
120 g sugar
150 ml water

Topping:2 teaspoons cinnamon
170 g shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
Melomakarona are made by all Greek families in the week preceding Christmas. Beat the oil and sugar well, add the brandy, orange juice and cinnamon and blend. Sift the flour with a pinch of salt and the soda and add it gradually into the oil and sugar mixture, mixing it with a spoon. Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes. If too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour and mix it well. Knead until it feels soft and pliable. Flour your hands and take egg-sized portions of dough. Roll and shape them into small oval shapes. Place on an unbuttered baking sheet, and flatten them with the palm of your hand. Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C), for 25 minutes. Let them cool and harden for 24 hours before dipping them in the honey syrup.
Prepare the syrup by mixing in a saucepan the honey, sugar and water. Bring slowly to the boil, skim with a spoon, then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Dip the cold melomakarona in the hot syrup, three or four at a time only. Let them stand for 1 minute and take them out with a slotted spoon. Place on a decorative platter and immediately sprinkle with a little cinnamon and chopped walnuts. If they are not consumed during the next 3-4 days they should be kept in airtight tins, like biscuits.
Allow two melomakarona per person.

 Galactobouriko

Filling: 7 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
2/5 cup Semolina
3 1/5 cups Creamy milk
1 Vanilla pod, or 3-4 drops Vanilla essence
1 oz Unsalted butter
Pastry:
1 lb Filo pastry
1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
Syrup:
2/5 cup Water
1 stick Cinnamon, or some lemon peel
2/3 lb. Caster sugar
1 tbsp Lemon juice
Bring the milk with the vanilla pod to the boil gently, (If you are using vanilla essence do not add it yet). Withdraw from the heat, take the vanilla pod out and gradually add the semolina to the milk while stirring continuously with a wooden spatula. Return to a gentle heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened. Take off the heat, mix in the butter and let it cool for 10 minutes. Beat the eggs with the sugar until they get pale and fluffy and gradually add to the cooled mixture while stirring. If using vanilla essence add it at this stage. Return to a gentle heat for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, then withdraw from the heat. While working with the pastry, stir the mixture occasionally to prevent a crust forming on top. Butter a roasting dish approximately 39 x 28 x 20 cm. Prepare the filo pastry and fill in exactly the same way as described in Tyropita - Cheese Pie. Bake in a preheated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C, for 45 minutes until pale golden. Take out and cool for 10 minutes while you make the syrup. Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the aromatics and lemon juice and boil gently for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Let the syrup stand for 5 minutes, then remove the aromatics and slowly pour all over the galaktoboureko. Once the syrup has been absorbed, cut and serve.You may, if you like, replace the vanilla with cinnamon and nutmeg powder.

Galaktoboureko is at its best eaten fresh, preferably when it is still warm, but is still good the next day. No need to keep it in a refrigerator unless the weather is particularly hot.

 Theepless

4 cups Self-rising flour
4 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Rinded lemon
2 tbsp Oil
Oil for cooking
2 cups Honey
Cinnamon
Coarsely chopped walnuts

Place the flour in a big, deep bowl. Mound the flour and make an opening in the middle. Meanwhile, beat eggs with the sugar, lemon rind and oil. Place the egg mixture in the opening and knead the dough until firm. Divide the dough equally many times and roll each division into thin pieces. Cut the pieces in triangle sections. Heat the oil well, and stick the dough strips in the hot oil one by one. Quickly, using two large forks roll each strip of dough in a cylindrical shape and cook the pieces until golden brown. Take them out, and place somewhere to cool. Heat the honey with one cup of sugar until boiling. Spoon out the froth that forms, and lather the ready theepless with the honey syrup, and sprinkle cinnamon and walnuts as a garnish.

 Tsoureki (Easter Bread)

1 cup milk
2 cups sugar or honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 lb. sweet butter
1 tbsp mahlepi powder
2 packets active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 eggs or egg substitute
10 cups flour
Pinch of salt

In a small saucepan bring the milk to a boil. Pour it into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, butter, mahlepi, and salt. Let cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to lukewarm milk. Beat 4 eggs and add to the milk mixture. Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the batter becomes too thick to stir. Coat your hands with flour and work in the rest of the flour by hands until a soft, elastic dough forms.
Cover with waxed paper and a thick towel and let stand in a warm place free of drafts for 2 to 3 hours or until the dough doubles in bulk. Punch down dough and knead again. Divide the dough into 12 balls about the size of oranges. Roll each ball on a board into a rope 1.5"x 2" thick and 15"-20" long. Braid three ropes together to make a "twist." Pinch ends and tuck under. Place on greased baking sheets and let rise until twists are doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the twists with the remaining egg (well-beaten) and bake until tops are a deep chestnut colour, about 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, and if the colour is darkening too quickly, reduce heat to 275 degrees and continue to bake for 1/2 hour.
Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes and then invert on racks to finish cooling. Store in covered containers or wrap and keep in the freezer.

Halva

1 cup Olive oil
2 cups Semolina flour
3 cups Sugar
4 cups Water
2 wedges lemon
Cinnamon stick
Chopped almonds

Heat the oil and cook the semolina in the oil until golden. Place the almonds to brown with the semolina. In the meantime, warm the water, but do not boil, and dissolve the sugar in it and throw in the lemon and the cinnamon stick. Pour the water into the semolina mix and stir well while pouring. Keep heating until the mixture becomes thick. Pour the mix into a Bundt pan and garnish with sesame seeds and cinnamon. Let stand and serve at room temperature.

Kourambiedes

1/2 lb unsalted butter
1 lb flour
1/4 lb caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons brandy
1/4 lb almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-2 tablespoons rose water
1 lb powdered sugar

Cream the butter, gradually add the caster sugar and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla and gradually add the brandy. The almonds can be skinned or not, whichever way you prefer, toast them lightly and chop roughly. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the butter mixture with the almonds. Knead it lightly, it should be quite a firm consistency. Take walnut-sized pieces, pat them into a ball and then flatten slightly between your palms and place them on a floured baking sheet. Alternatively, flatten half of the pastry on to a board, about 2 cm thick, and press half-moon or star shapes out of it with pastry cutters. Repeat until all the pastry is finished. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 375 F/ 190 C, for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with the rose water as soon as they come out of the oven. Sift about a quarter of the icing sugar onto a large platter, place the kourabiedes on it, while still hot, and sift the remaining icing sugar all over the top. In a dry climate they survive well for 2-3 weeks, but in a damp climate, where they may lose their crispness after a week, they are best kept in a biscuit tin. Allow 2 kourambiedes per person.

Kataifi (Nut - Stuffed Shredded Wheat Rolls)

(24 rolls)
1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups coarsely ground walnuts
1 1/2 cups coarsely ground almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1-pound box Apollo kataifi pastry
thawed and at room temperature

Brush a jelly roll pan with melted butter and set aside. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, almonds, sugar and cinnamon. Beat the egg with the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Stir into nut mixture. To prepare shredded wheat rolls, take a handful of the pastry and spread it out to about 6 inches long. Brush generously with melted butter, place a tablespoon of nut filling on bottom and roll up tightly, incorporating the loose ends inwards as you go. Place seam side down on buttered pan, and repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Brush the tops of the pastries liberally with remaining pastry and filling. Brush the tops of the pastries liberally with remaining melted butter, and bake for 1 hour at 350 F, or until golden and tender. Remove to a rack and let stand for 5-10 minutes. While kataifi is baking, make syrup. Spoon the hot syrup over the rolls. Cover the pan with a towel and let stand for at least three hours before serving.

Rizogalo (Rice Pudding)

(8 servings)
2 cups water
8 cups whole milk
1 cup long-grain rice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
Ground cinnamon for garnish

Place water, milk, rice and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir gently, reduce heat and simmer over very low flame for about 1 hour, until the rice is virtually disintegrated and the mixture thick. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and lemon rind. Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl, and add several tablespoons of the rice pudding to them, beating all the while. Add the egg yolks to the rice pudding, stirring well. Pour the mixture into 8 individual serving cups or into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Sprinkle with cinnamon just before serving.

Kafes (Greek Coffee)

(2 servings)
2 small cups of water
2 teaspoonful of Greek coffee
sugar

Greek coffee can be made in four different ways :
1) it can be sketos (without sugar),
2) metrios (usually with one teaspoonful of sugar),
3) glykys or vari glykos (almost honey-sweet)
4) glykys vrastos - sweet (boiled more then once so it loses most of its foam)

Put the required cups of water into the briki and add the coffee and the sugar. Put the briki on a low heat and stir its contents a little, until the coffee is diluted in the water. Hold the briki by the handle all the time because it boils quickly and can spills everywhere. When it starting to rise, let it rise until it reaches the lips of the briki and then immediately withdraw it from the heat. Once it has been made, let it stand for one minute to allow the coffee grounds to settle at the bottom of the briki. Pour a little in each cup, to distribute the foam in all the cups, and then fill them up. Serve them together with a glass of cold water. The Greek coffee is served in small and thick cups and it is made in a briki, (a small container with a long handle and a lip, usually made out of stainless steel).