Chef Krystina Kalapothakos Shares Her Favorite Greek Holiday Dessert Recipes

Trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, Krystina Kalapothakos, a Greek-American, credits her Yiayia (grandmother) for her inspiration and shares with us her favorite Greek desserts you can make this holiday season.

Chef Krystina Kalapothakos

Growing up in a Greek family (on a lavender farm- more on that later), cooking was a big part of her life, and by age seven, she was making her own Greek recipes inspired by her family's traditions. She says her Yiayia was a fabulous home cook who taught her all the traditional Greek recipes, which Krystina has put a modern twist on and now shares through her blog, Kouzounas Kitchen.

Krystina has also published two cookbooks; her latest, A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul (ladi in Greek means oil), is a beautiful 350-page book for any foodie who appreciates Greek cuisine! It encompasses Greek recipes, intertwining traditional and modern styles to bring the best of Greek cooking to your table- perfect for a beginner or even the more advanced home cook.

In addition, the multifaceted Krystina has been an active part of her parent's Organic Lavender Farm in Northern California- can you imagine growing up amongst the beauty of a lavender farm?! The family works together to harvest and distill their organic lavender, producing various body and aromatherapy products which they sell through their website,

Friends of the Earth Lavender. Krystina has taken the family's organic lavender, lavandin essential oil, and her culinary mastery to create infused teas, sugars, and unique recipes.

It was tough to narrow it down to just a favorite holiday dessert recipes, so be sure to check out search Kouzounas Kitchen for more recipes and inspiration.

And don't forget to gift yourself or the foodie in your life, A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul (see book details below).

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Baklava Rolls

A simple way to make the beloved Greek dessert, Baklava.

Ingredients:

Baklava

• 1 cup clarified butter (important step – see method below)

• 1 pound of toasted walnuts (or other nuts of your choice), chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 package of phyllo dough

• 3 teaspoons of cinnamon powder (to serve)

Syrup

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup demerara sugar or granulated sugar (for a thicker syrup use demerara)

• 1 cup honey

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 orange, reserve peels

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a flat surface.

2. Butter the entire sheet, then add 2 Heaping Tablespoons of the nut mixture over the lower bottom of the phyllo. Gently roll the phyllo over the nut mixture into a tight cigar shape.

3. Place seam side down.

4. Bake rolls at 325° F until golden brown.

5. Pour hot syrup over the rolls and serve.

Notes:

Do Not refrigerate the baklava- it will get soggy! You can keep it on a plate wrapped with foil.

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Bougatsa

Bougatsa is a Sweet Custard Phyllo Pie- probably my favorite Greek dessert that you and your guests will savor.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of phyllo

• 4 cups of whole milk (I use clover milk)

• 1 cup organic sugar

• 1 cup of semolina

• 1 tablespoon of vanilla flavoring

• 4 eggs

• Pinch of sea salt

• 2/3 cups unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest

• Powdered sugar

• Cinnamon
  

Directions:

1. Pour milk into a saucepan and add the lemon zest. Stir in semolina with a wooden spoon and make sure it's mixed in and blended. (You don't want any clumps.) Remove from heat and let it cool down.

2. Combine sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. It's important to whisk constantly and vigorously as the hot ingredient is added.

4. Slowly add the warm semolina mixture to the egg mixture- whisking constantly and vigorously so you don't break (curdle) the eggs.

5. Let mixture cool down and prepare your phyllo dough.

6. Brush the butter in the casserole dish (the sides and the bottom), and start layering the phyllo dough. Brush each phyllo sheet with butter as you continue to layer.

7. Pour the custard over the phyllo dough and then wrap the remaining phyllo over the top. If necessary, brush more butter on the top.

8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden brown on top. Remove from heat and let cool.

9. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon powder. (You can try drizzling hot Nutella over the top too.)

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Karidopita Cupcakes

Karidopita Cupcakes are a twist on the delicious, traditional Greek Spiced Walnut Cake.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 4 eggs, separated

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 cups of toasted & finely ground walnuts

• 4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 cup of Semolina flour (fine)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp orange zest

• 1 tsp lemon zest

Syrup:

• 1 cup of water

• 1 cup of sugar

• 1/4 cup of honey

• 2 strips orange peel

• 2 strips lemon peel

• 1 cinnamon stick

Vanilla Fage Yogurt Icing:

• 1 cup Fage Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ◦F degrees. Prepare 2 "12 cups" muffin tin pans filled with cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. Use the mixer to beat egg whites until stiff. Then place the egg yolks inside another mixer bowl, and beat with sugar until yellow and pale in color. Add vanilla.

3. Next, in a medium bowl, add the finely ground walnuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest, and spices together. Add in the egg yolk mixture and stir. Slowly fold in the egg whites in 3 different additions.

4. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop about 1/4 batter into each cupcake tin. Bake for about 15 -18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. (You do not want to overcook them as they will dry out.) Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Make the Syrup:

1. Combine the water, sugar, honey, orange – lemon peels, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the syrup cool down, then remove the cinnamon stick and peels.

3. Poke about 4 holes over the top of the cupcakes using a wooden skewer. Then using a pastry brush, brush about 2 teaspoons of the syrup over warm cupcakes.

Make the Vanilla Fage Yogurt Icing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla, and half a cup of confectioners sugar. Chill for 30 minutes to thicken. Serve the icing over the cupcakes and sprinkle with extra finely ground walnuts.

You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Chocolate Truffles

Though not Greek, Chocolate Truffles are a simple yet elegant dessert that anyone can make to impress their guests.

Servings: 20

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces of bittersweet chocolate

• 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

• 1 pinch of pink Himalayan salt

• Chocolate liquor

• Toppings for the truffles. (Cocoa powder, sprinkles, toasted nuts, coconut- get creative and use what you'd like)

• Optional: Chocolate liquor

Directions:

1. Break the bittersweet chocolate into little pieces and add to a medium saucepan. Add the heavy whipping cream and salt and mix to combine. (Make sure chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.) Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Place the chocolate into a metal bowl and cover. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

3. Remove chocolate from the refrigerator and prepare chocolate truffles.

4. Gently take about 2 heaping teaspoons of chocolate and roll into a ball. Repeat the process until you have approximately 20 to 24 truffles prepared.

5. You can use any topping you like to roll the truffles in, but I like to use cocoa powder or toasted nuts. At this point, roll the chocolate balls into cocoa powder or nuts.

6. Serve truffles at room temperature.

7. Store in an airtight container. Truffles will be good for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Notes:

Wear gloves when you begin rolling the chocolate into balls to ensure the body heat from your hands doesn't melt the chocolate.

If you'd like extra depth to your truffles, you can add 1 tablespoon of chocolate liquor to half the chocolate mixture.

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And don't forget to gift yourself or the foodie in your life, A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul.

A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul

by Krystina Kalapothakos

This book is filled with 100+ unique recipes, from four different regions of Greece. It encompasses Greek recipes, intertwining traditional and modern styles to bring the best of Greek cooking to your table—perfect for a beginner or intermediate foodie who appreciates Greek cuisine! Chef Krystina will take you on a Hellenic adventure, perusing traditional foods, wine pairings, mixing in stories of her family and travels, and the appreciation for Greek culture.

Buy on Amazon

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