Greek Walnut Pie Recipes

KARIDOPITA/KARITHOPITA RECIPE (GREEK WALNUT CAKE WITH SYRUP)

Steps:

• Use an electric mixer to mix the sugar and butter; mix at medium-high speed for at least 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whilst continue mixing; wait each time for each egg to be absorbed, before adding the next. Pour in the cognac and the orange zest and mix for 10 more seconds. Set aside.
• Into a large bowl, add the chopped walnut, the powdered Melba toast, the cinnamon, the clove, the nutmeg, the baking powder and blend with a spoon. (Chop the walnut, using a blender, but be careful not to powder it; the authentic greek walnut cake calls for roughly chopped walnuts.)
• Combine the two mixtures and blend, until smooth.
• Place the egg whites into the bowl of the electric mixer, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues).
• With a spatula add gradually the meringues into the mixture and blend with light circular movements from the bottom up.
• Butter the bottom and the sides of a round baking tray, approx 30cm diameter and bake in a preheated oven at 170C, for about 35 minutes, until nicely colored on the outside and baked through.
• Let the karidopita (greek walnut cake) to cool and then prepare the syrup. Add all the ingredients for the syrup into a pot, and boil, until the sugar has dissolved. Scar the cake into pieces, and slowly ladle the hot syrup over the cold cake, allowing time for each ladle of syrup to be absorbed.
• Let it cool down for a while, before serving. This Greek walnut cake is ideally served cold with some vanilla ice-cream aside. Enjoy!!

GREEK HONEY NUT PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Brush a 9-in. pie plate with some of the butter; set aside., Unroll phyllo dough; keep covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Layer eight sheets of phyllo in prepared pan, brushing each layer with butter and rotating sheets to cover the pie plate. Let edges of dough hang over sides. Sprinkle a third of the nut mixture onto the bottom., Layer four sheets of phyllo over nut mixture in the same manner; sprinkle with a third of the nut mixture. Repeat these last two steps. Top with an additional eight sheets of phyllo, again brushing with butter and rotating sheets. Fold ends of phyllo up over top of pie; brush with butter. , Using a sharp knife, cut into eight wedges. Cut 1-2 additional sheets of phyllo into thin strips, rolling into rose shapes if desired; arrange decoratively over top. (Save remaining phyllo for another use.) Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the sugar, water and honey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add vanilla. Pour over warm pie. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

ENGLISH WALNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in sugar, salt, vanilla, and corn syrup. Melt the butter and whisk it into the egg mixture. Stir in the nuts. Pour filling into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

GREEK WALNUT PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F Spray 9-inch glass pie pan with cooking spray. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using sprayed pie pan.
• In medium bowl, mix walnuts, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Pour and evenly spread 1/4 cup of the cooled melted butter over bottom of pie crust. Spread walnut mixture evenly over butter. Drizzle another 1/4 cup butter over nut mixture.
• Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut large slits in several places in top crust for steam to escape. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup butter evenly over top crust.
• Bake at 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. About 5 minutes before removing pie from oven, in 1-quart saucepan, cook honey and lemon juice over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture has a watery consistency.
• Remove pie from oven; place on wire rack. Slowly pour hot honey mixture evenly over top of hot pie, making sure it seeps into slits in top crust. Cool at least 3 hours before serving.
• Just before serving, in small bowl with electric mixer, beat topping ingredients on high speed about 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Spoon topping onto individual servings of pie.

GREEK EGGPLANT AND WALNUT PIE

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant with salt and drain in a colander 30 minutes; pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; fry eggplant in batches, adding about oil, if needed and turning once, until tender and golden brown, 5 -7 minutes.
• Drain on paper towels and cool to room temperature.
• Wipe skillet clean.
• Preheat oven to 375° with rack in middle level.
• Halve leek/green onion lengthwise and thinly slice.
• Cook leek in 1 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat until golden, 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic to release fragrance; sauté about 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl.
• Chop eggplant; add leek-garlic mixture with egg, cheeses, nuts, oregano, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place one crust pie shell in 8"or 9" pie plate. Reserve remaining for top;.
• brush lightly with oil.
• Spread filling evenly in shell; cover with remaining pie crust and brush with a little olive oil.
• Cut several slits in top (to vent) and bake until golden brown, 45-50 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into wedges.

CRISPY GREEK-STYLE PIE

Steps:

• Put the spinach into a large pan. Pour over a couple tbsp water, then cook until just wilted. Tip into a sieve, leave to cool a little, then squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl along with the spinach, feta and eggs. Mix well.
• Carefully unroll the filo pastry. Cover with some damp sheets of kitchen paper to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush liberally with some of the sundried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in a 22cm loosebottomed cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the side. Brush oil on another piece of pastry and place in the tin, just a little further round. Keep placing the pastry pieces in the tin until you have roughly three layers, then spoon over the filling. Pull the sides into the middle, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered. Brush with a little more oil.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the cake tin, slice into wedges and serve with salad.