Pumpkin Kolokithopita Greek Phyllo Pastries Recipes

GREEK PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat pumpkin puree in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and puree is thick. Stir in sugar, raisins, semolina, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• Lay one puff pastry sheet into the prepared baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the pastry and cover with the remaining pastry sheet. Brush the top of the puff pastry with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

PUMPKIN KOLOKITHOPITA (GREEK PHYLLO PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Mix together pumpkin, honey, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
• Cut phyllo dough into vertical strips about 2 inches wide, and cover the pile of phyllo strips with a clean, damp tea towel.
• Lay one phyllo strip flat on a workspace in front of you. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the phyllo dough with an even coat of melted butter. Place a tablespoon of the pumpkin filling at the end of the phyllo strip. Starting at the end with the pumpkin filling, fold the phyllo dough over as you would a flag until the phyllo is the shape of a triangle. Place on baking sheet.
• Repeat until all of the pumpkin filling is used up.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops of the triangles are golden brown.

PORTOKALOPITA (GREEK ORANGE PHYLLO CAKE)

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups sugar, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Squeeze in orange juice and add juiced halves. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the cake.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with some olive oil.
• Remove phyllo sheets from the package. Tear each sheet roughly into shreds and pile up in the baking pan. Let shredded phyllo dry out a little while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Cut 1 orange in half, and slice 1 half into very thin half-moons to garnish the cake. Zest and juice the remaining 2 1/2 oranges.
• Combine orange juice, orange zest, eggs, yogurt, olive oil, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder in a blender or food processor. Blend together on high speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Pour orange and egg mixture over the shredded phyllo in the baking pan. Stir everything together gently to ensure that the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Garnish top of the cake with the orange slices.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and the filling set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Set aside for at least 1 hour, until most of the syrup has soaked in. Slice into squares and serve.

GREEK PUMPKIN COILS (RODANCHAS DE KALVASSA)

Steps:

• Cook the puree with the sugar in the top of a double boiler until very thick.
• Stir in cinnamon and walnuts.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo dough, brush lightly with melted butter or olive oil.
• Cover with a second sheet of dough and brush lightly with butter or oil.
• Using a pastry tube or other convenient technique, place a pencil-thin line of the pumpkin filling along the length of the phyllo dough sheet just inside the edge.
• Fold the edge over to completely cover the pumpkin filling.
• Continue rolling the phyllo dough into a long thin tube.
• Brush lightly with butter or oil as you roll.
• Take one end of the roll and coil up, taking care not to make the coil so tight that it breaks.
• Arrange the coils so they are close together but not touching on an oiled baking sheet.
• If desired, brush completed coil with egg white.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.