From flaky phyllo pastries like Baklava to custards like Galaktoboureko to cookies and cakes, many of the sweets for which Greece is famous are soaked in light scented honey or sugar syrups.
Gastrin was known as a Cretan sweet in Roman times. Similar in preparation and appearance to baklava, it has some unusual ingredients.
Apples are stuffed with a fabulous walnut mixture and baked to perfection.
If you've been hesitant about trying a baklava recipe because you've never worked with phyllo dough, this might be for you. If you can make a jelly roll, you can make this delicious Greek dessert.
Chopped walnuts and almonds, cinnamon, cloves, and phyllo dough combine to create this delicious Cretan variation of Greece's most famous pastry. The pastry is usually made with olive oil (lthough butter can be used) and in Roman times, it was made with pepper and poppy seeds.
One of the most famous phyllo pastries, galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek sweet, soaked in a light lemony syrup after baking. A true special occasion dish.
Galaktoboureko is a favorite dessert, and these individual servings are made with the same delicious custard filling rolled up into neat packets made with phyllo pastry sheets.
Sheets of phyllo dough are gathered (bunched) and rolled into coils, creating light delicious pastries. Made with the traditional baklava elements of phyllo, nuts, and syrup, this is a delightful and different presentation.
A delightful light coconut cake drenched in a scented syrup. The recipe calls for self-rising flour.
Sponge cake is a favorite the world over, and this Greek version includes a traditional syrup. The light orange flavor in the cake and syrup adds a delightful touch. Top it as you would any other sponge cake, or enjoy as is.
These small puffs of dough are fried and soaked in a honey syrup flavored with orange, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
"Melomakarona" are traditional holiday spice cookies made all over Greece. In this version from the island of Rhodes, the cookies have a center of sesame seeds, honey, and spices.
Melomakarona are a Christmas tradition in Greece (but enjoyed at other times of the year). All over Greece, kitchens will be filled with the wonderful smell of these cookies that will adorn tables, be given as hostess gifts, and eaten in huge quantities.
These fabulous spice cookies are soaked in a honey-based syrup. This recipe calls walnuts and sesame seeds and creates a somewhat lighter cookie than other recipes.
These crisp spiral pastries are a specialty of the Greek island of Crete. Thin strips of dough are shaped into spirals and quickly fried in hot oil, then dipped in a honey syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon, walnuts, and sesame seeds.
There are several different versions of this custard dessert; this is one of the older recipes with a phyllo bottom and syrup.
A delightful phyllo pie for orange lovers. Made with phyllo (filo) sheets, orange peel, eggs, and thick Greek yogurt.
This is a sweet pumpkin (or squash) pie in the Greek tradition - made with phyllo dough, olive oil, honey, sugar, and cinnamon - with a syrupy topping.
Ravani (also spelled "revani") is a favorite cake made with semolina (or farina), and soaked in a sweet syrup. There are many different versions. Use your food processor for this one that calls for semolina, flour, eggs, milk, and butter.
Halvas can be made in many different ways, and this version is made with honey, nuts, raisins, and the tastes of cinnamon and cloves, for a wonderful dessert.
This version of a favorite dessert is less sweet than some others, and made with walnuts and a light sugar syrup.
This is a delightful version of baklava made with sesame seeds, and a Christmas Eve tradition in many Greek homes. Layers of phyllo dough sprinkled with sesame seeds. No nuts. No butter.
Sometimes called the "lazy cook's pie," this delicious sweet version of phyllo pie is easy to make with bunched phyllo (filo), yogurt, sugar, and eggs, topped with a sweet syrup.
Touloubakia are small capsule-shaped pieces of dough that are fried, then dipped in a sweet syrup.
This is a classic Greek cake made with the tastes of cinnamon, cloves, orange, and walnuts, then soaked in a lightly spiced syrup. A Christmas tradition for many, and delicious any time of year.
A traditional Greek cake, this recipe calls for a mixture of flour and semolina and, after baking, a spiced syrup is added to bring in the flavors of orange and cinnamon.
This is an egg-rich cake made with yogurt, walnuts, and pistachio nuts, topped with a lemon and brandy syrup.
