Kalitsounia: Sweet Cretan Cheese Pie

Name: Kalitsounia: Sweet Cretan Cheese Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 17 pieces
Ingredients: 450 g flour; 40 g granulated sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 egg; 185 ml milk; 60 ml sunflower oil; 1 egg; ground cinnamon; 180 g feta cheese; 180 g mizithra cheese; 1 egg; 30 g granulated sugar; 1 tsp honey; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp mastic

User Reviews

4.9

366 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings
17 pieces
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Greek

Kalitsounia: Sweet Cretan Cheese Pie

Iris Warren

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Kalitsounia are small sweet cheese pies from Crete made with a soft dough and filled with a mixture of Greek feta and mizithra cheeses combined with egg, sugar, honey, cinnamon, and a hint of crushed mastic. The pies are shaped by pleating the edges after spooning the filling onto dough circles, then baked until golden and finished with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Their tender, lightly sweet crust complements the rich, creamy, and subtly spiced filling, making them a traditional treat often enjoyed as a dessert or snack.

Description

Kalitsounia: Sweet Cretan Cheese Pie features a delicate dough prepared from flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, milk, and sunflower oil, resulting in a soft and pliable texture. The filling blends crumbly feta and sweet grated mizithra cheeses with egg, sugar, honey, cinnamon, and crushed mastic for aromatic depth. Once the dough is chilled and rolled thin, circles are cut out, filled, and shape pleated by hand before baking. After a 20-minute bake, the pies develop a golden crust that contrasts with the creamy, sweet cheese center. Sprinkling ground cinnamon after baking adds a warm spice note.

The finished pies offer a balance of sweet and savory flavors with a tender, melt-in-mouth dough and a soft, spiced cheese filling. They serve well as a unique dessert or snack, showcasing traditional Cretan ingredients and preparation.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the dough:

450 g flour soft
40 g granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg medium
185 ml milk full fat
60 ml sunflower oil
1 egg diluted with a little water, for egg wash, yolk
ground cinnamon for sprinkling

For the filling:

180 g feta cheese crumbled, Greek
180 g mizithra cheese grated, sweet, Greek
1 egg medium
30 g granulated sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp mastic crushed

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Instructions

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Preheat oven to 180° C/ 356° F, fan.

For the dough:

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, milk and sunflower oil in a mixer bowl. Beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until you create a smooth, soft dough. When ready, remove the dough and wrap in cellophane. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the filling:

Place all the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
When the dough is ready, dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll the dough out to about 0.3 cm (1/8 inch) thick.
Using a 10 cm (4-inch) round dough cutter or a glass, cut the dough into circles.
Add 1 ½ teaspoons of filling in the center of each circle of dough and pinch the border to create pleats. When ready, transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Brush the pies with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes.
When ready, allow the kalitsounia to cool for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.