The dressing is where we get creative. Ever buy some grapes only to find that they are so tart that they make your face pucker when you taste them? You want those grapes for what we’re making here…verjuice or agourida in Greek. When one makes a salad you need fat (olive oil) and acid, which is usually vinegar or lemon juice. The acid in this instance is the agourida made from tart white grapes and made by simply plucking the tart grapes off the stems, placing them in a food processor and then straining them. What you’re left with is a tart green-hued liquid called verjuice or agourida in Greek!

So, if life gives you no lemons, make an agourida – same dressing ratios…I like 3 parts oil to 1 part acid and I always add a little mustard to emulsify the dressing. Keeping with the grapes, we’re going for balance in the salad as I’m using a unique ingredient from the Niagara wine region called ice syrup.

Ice syrup was created by Steve Murdza who instead of making ice wine with the  frozen grapes he turned them into ice syrup. Much like with ice wine, the grapes are left on the vines through part of the winter and when the temperature hits -8 Celicius, they can be picked then turned into sweet grape juice with the fermentation being bypassed (that’s when ice wine is made).

This salad is about contrasts: crunchy baked phyllo filled with soft Feta cheese, tart agourida balanced by the sweet nectar of Niagara ice syrup. Greek extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts and almonds, sliced grapes and some sultana raisins, ground anise in the cheese filling and some sliced fennel in the salad. I loved this salad and I’m looking forward to making it for family and friends in the near future!

Phyllo-Feta Cigars With Agourida & Niagara Ice Syrup Salad Dressing

(serves 4)

4 sheets of thawed commercial phyllo

1/2 stick melted butter

Filling

4 sticks/batons of Feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

zest of 1/2 lemon

ground anise

Dressing

2 Tbsp. verjuice (agourida)

1/2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

1/4 cup extra-virgin Greek olive oil

1 small clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper

garnish

sultana raisins

halved grapes

sesame seeds

Niagara ice syrup

4-6 cups of mixed salad greens, rinsed and spun-dry

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1.  Ensure you’re using tart, unripe grapes to make the agourida (verjuice). Rinse the grapes, pick off the stems and place in a food processor and whiz until a purée. Pass through a strainer and you’ve your tart verjuice/agourida.
2. Take your thawed phyllo out of the fridge and pre-heat your oven to 350F. Cut your phyllo vertically into two, brush each sheet of phyllo and place one sheet on top of the other.
3. Cut your sticks of Feta to about 1 inch smaller than the width of your phyllo and place near the bottom of sheet. Sprinkle the chopped nuts above the cheese, grate some lemon zest and sprinkle some ground fennel. Now fold the bottom flap of phyllo over the cheese and tuck-in the sides and roll-up. Brush with butter and place on a baking sheet and bake in your oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.
4. In the meantime, wash and dry your salad greens, slice the fennel and place in a bowl. Place your verjuice, mustard, olive oil in a jar along with the garlic, chives, salt and pepper and place the lid on and shake to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning, oil to acid ratio.
5. When the phyllo cigars are golden, take out of the oven and now toss your salad with the dressing. Cut your phyllo cigar in half on the bias, place on your plated greens. Garnish with grape halves, sultana raisins, sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with Niagara ice syrup.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

As always, I stayed at my family’s summer home in Halkidiki (near Thessaloniki) where I swim twice a day, tan until I resemble a gypsy, spend time with my parents, relatives and friends I’ve known since the 80′s! There were the day trips to Thessaloniki, some trips to more exotic beaches in Halkdiki and taverna-hopping at night.

Lefkada

I traveled to the island of Lefkada for the first time – an island that doesn’t require a ferry boat to travel to – just a causeway that connects it to the mainland. Lefkada is an island rife with greenery, olives trees. One side of the island is relatively flat and most of the hotels are located facing mainland Greece and the center of the island is mountainous. A car is needed on Lefkada as most of the island’s popular and beautiful beaches are included on the side of the island facing Italy ( on the Ionian Sea). Some of Greece’s best beaches are on Lefkada and Egremni and Porto Katsiki often get mentioned in “best beaches” lists.

Porto Katsiki, Lefkada

I also attended a Greek wedding (yes it was BIG and FAT) and even reconnected with a former Greek amabassador to Canada who now spends his retirement in a nearby town in Halkidiki. While in Halkidiki I also traveled to the third peninsula to explore and taste the underappreciated Mount Athos area. Most of the third peninsula is enclosed by a border and home to several Greek-Orthodox monasteries. One can only travel to Ouranoupoli and from there one must enter only if carrying a visa (pre-arranged) into Agio Oros…the name for the entire territory governed by monks and clergy. Sorry, no women are allowed on Agio Oros but crusies are available from Ouranoupoli that tour along the coast.

My weekend in the Athos area was spent in Arnaia with it’s well-preserved old architecture, a couple of wineries, a Feta cheese facility, the tiny islet of Amouliani and to visit a lady who “opens” her own phyllo and made two delicious phyllo pies right before our eyes!

I also wanted to visit Constantinople (Istanbul) once again this year but days were running out and schedules with my travel partner and friend made this an impossibility this year (there’s always next year). Instead, I took the advice of friends to head towards the Greek/Turkish border to visit the city of Xanthi. I went during the city’s Old City Festival to revel with others in this picturesque old town with both Greeks and Muslim minority living side by side peacefully. Xanthi is known for its extraordinary desserts and exotic dishes with a near-east flare. Xanthi’s “pazari” is Greece’s largest and I was fortunate to shop there on the Saturday morning I was there.

Upon my return to our summer home in Halkidiki (where our Greek home is) I was hoping for some milder daytime temps to arrive but not to be so. This September was one of the hottest I remember with the thermometer hitting 36C – more beach action! September is a wonderful month to visit Greece and airfares have dropped, the summer crowds have left and the days are sill hot for a pleasant swim in the sea followed by comfortable warm evenings taking a stroll and dining outdoors at a taverna.

I spent some days (and nights) exploring more of my favourite city in Greece – Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki iss Greece’s 2nd largest city and Greek’s often call it the “co-capital” alongside Athens. Thessaloniki’s history sees many people come and go: Turks, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs. The city was also home to a significant Jewish population and one can even visit a museum dedicated to this important facet of Thessaloniiki.

White Tower, Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is one Europe’s oldest cities and it’s also considered one of the earliest examples of a multicultural city. Today, the majority of Thessaloniki’s population in Greek but the population is made up of natives of the province of Macedonia, Vlachs, Asian Minor Greeks forced to leave Turkey in a series of population exchanges and Pontian Greeks who (not to be confused with Asia Minor Greeks) came back to resettle in Greece after many generations of living around the Black Sea.

The Pontian Greeks have their own dialect, they are a tight-knit community and they have there very own unique cuisine. Pontian Greeks can be found in Athens as well but the majority live in Thessaloniki and towns in Macedonia and Thrace. Some Greek towns and villages were born with the influx of Pontian Greeks who came to resettle on the Greek mainland.

Back in Xanthi, my friend (and chef) Stella Spanou was kind enough to show around the area and on one afternoon I spent at a “Ksenona” or rural hostel just outside of Xanthi. Situated in an old abandoned Turkish village was this family-run type of “bed & breakfast” by a family of Pontian roots. Stella and Eleni prepared dinner, we ate and drank and delightfully (first time in awhile) did not speak of or discuss the Greek economy. We spoke about the wine harvest that I just witness, the region of Xanthi and the delicious food before us. Two of Eleni’s brothers took turns playing the Pontiako Lyra (a kind of viol) played upright and help between one’s thighs after our meal. It was a moving moment with their father keeping rhythm by clapping and everyone reflecting on how wonderful a day we just had.

View from rural hostel near Xanthi

One of the dishes at the table was of Pontian origin and I’m going to share that dish with you in the coming days but in the meantime, I thought to share another Pontian dish, a sweet one that embodies my sweet Greek vacation and all the memories of the wonderful food enjoyed with old friends and new. We’re now into Autumn and many of this summer’s fruits are a memory and we await for the long winter to pass and another cycle of Spring and Summer will warm our souls and fill us with more memories.

The Pontians have a dish called Hosafi which is a compote made of mixed dried fruit and often some nuts are included in the mix. The ladies of the household with gather fruit as they came into season and dried them for consumption in the winter. Turning dried fruits into a compote is simple genius born out of necessity and ideal as a Lent-friend dessert. I couldn’t think of a more ideal recipe to offer than one with fruits preserved from the warm months and used to tide us through the winter. A compote is usually made with fresh, ripe fruit and preserved in a syrup but here, the main ingredients are dried fruit.

The dried fruits are re-hydrated in warm water then simmered in a simple syrup of water and sugar and spices of your choice. I decided to go with star anise, reminiscent of a compote I ate earlier in my vacation while on Lefkada. This is a really easy recipe using dried figs, apricots, prunes, raisins and almonds. There’s water, there’s sugar and star anise and what the heck…some Greek honey to add some richness to the syrup.

Hosafi is wonderful served on some strained Greek yogurt or ice cream or simply on its own. I make a small batch as we’re using dried fruits which are available all year ’round – no need to make large batches here. Make a batch, store in a container and keep in your fridge.

Hosafi (Χοσάφι)  – Compote of Dried Fruit

(makes enough to fill 2 large jars)

1/2 cup of dried apricots

1/2 cup dried figs

1/4 cup sultana raisins

1/4 cup dark raisins

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup almonds

water

approx. 1 cup sugar

3-4 whole star anise

1/4 cup Greek honey

1. Place all the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with hot water. Place a cover on the bowl and allow the fruit to rehydrate for about an hour. Pour the water and dried fruit into a medium-sized pot and if need be, add more water ( to cover by an inch). Add the sugar and star anise and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Once almost aboil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for an hour. Add the honey, stir in and take off the heat and allow to cool. You maty add the almonds while the compote is still warm.
3. Pour the compote into a jar/glass container and keep in your fridge for up to 3 months. Serve on some strained Greek yogurt or ice cream.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

I’m not sure where I’m going this year for side trips or new places I haven’t visited yet. Greece is having another difficult year and I’m not sure if my friends will be taking any vacations apart from their summer homes. I may visit an island or two…Aegean or Ionic or one of each? I may just stay local and tour parts of northern Greece that I’ve yet to visit. I may take another side trip to Constantinople (Istanbul)…a city that still mesmerizes me and one that I enjoy exploring.

A visit to Greece’s capital, Athens, is likely as there are lots of friends to visit and there’s always some fabulous eating to be done there. I’m not sure where this year’s Greek summer will take me but I will be eating and drinking and I’m taking this recipe for Greek Sangria with me. Sangria is a chilled concoction of wine, fruit, soda, sugar or a simple syrup with some fruit and booze to balance the sweeteners.

The syrup I use to make my Greek Summer Sangria is the focus of my recipe – the one that gives this one the edge over other recipes and the reason I was asked to make/bring this sangria over and over and over again to parties, barbecues and gatherings. You see, when you’re mixing a sangria, you’re looking to cut the tannins and make it into a summer, fruit-forward drink that’s light enough to drink all afternoon yet there’s enough booze in there to add to your summer “glow”.

My Greek Summer Sangria uses those bottles of wine that I received as gifts and yes, perhaps they aren’t my preferred choices but I also wouldn’t regift them. So, into the bucket went some screw-top red, one sliced peach and one sliced orange, a couple of cans of ginger ale, and syrup to sweeten the mixture. I was about to make a simple syrup by boiling water and sugar but I remembered that I had a jar of syrup leftover from when I made Baklava ice cream and I took a chance and poured the syrup into the sangria. AMAZING!

The sangria takes on some of the cinnamon and cloves that infused the syrup and the sangria has just enough sweetness to please the ladies yet there’s still enough booze (thanks to the Metaxa brandy) to make it popular with the dudes as well. I’ve laid out a recipe per one bottle of wine but I recommend making a batch with 3 bottles of wine and tripling the recipe. After last night’s barbecue, the next batch of sangria make have to be made with 6 bottles!

Greek Summer Sangria

For the syrup

2 cups of water

1 cup sugar

2-3 strips of lemon or orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 whole cloves

1/2 cup honey

Sangria Mix

1-750 ml bottle of red wine

1/2 cup Metaxa brandy

1 ripe peach, sliced

1 orange, sliced

2 cans of ginger ale (or 7-UP/Sprite)

1 cup of syrup

1. To make the syrup, first add the water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon peel in to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer and boil for another 6 minutes. Take off the heat and add the honey and allow to cool. Remove rind, cinnamon and cloves.
2. Add your wine, sliced fruit, ginger ale and brandy and stir. Add the syrup in increments, stir and make as sweet as you wish. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
3. To serve, place some ice in each glass and pour the sangria.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

All the people above offered inspiration for my own take on Baklava ice cream, THANK YOU! To make baklava ice cream is to understand what baklava is: layers of phyllo sandwiched with a nut and spice mixture and then soaked in a syrup. Simple. The dessert can take on many forms like squares, diamond shapes, cigars or pinwheels. The filling may contain fruit, an array of nuts and the spices used could be cinnamon, cloves, cardamom or any other spice used with sweets. The syrup is based on sugar and water, more cinnamon and/or spice is spiked, lemon or orange peel and good honey helps round-out the best of syrups. Some baklavas are on the drier side and others are laden in syrup. My preference is for something in between.

When making Baklava Ice Cream there’s also lots of artistic license allowed. I approached this recipe with the goal of incorporating nuts, phyllo, syrup and of course the ice cream. I could have taken my take(s) on baklava ice cream in many directions but I stuck to two: my favourite and more difficult is actually layering ice cream between sheets of phyllo: I baked-off multiple layers of phyllo in the oven then poured syrup over them. Once they cooled I simply placed one layer of phyllo on the bottom of a terrine/loaf-type pan followed by ice cream, another layer of phyllo then more ice cream and finally a third layer of phyllo. In the freezer it went overnight. The next day, cut a slice of Baklava ice cream and serve on a plate with some drizzled Greek honey and reserved Baklava filling.

If the photos in this post haven’t sold you yet then I will confirm that this just tasted divine. If this isn’t enough for you then you’ll be drawn in when I plate this dessert with Poached figs  in Mavrodapne wine (a Greek fortified) wine. Now we’re talking sublime! This recipe will leave you with some leftover phyllo but I have a solution for that too! I made some baklava ice cream served inside some phyllo cups. I simply cut some pieces of phyllo that I placed in muffin tins and baked them off until golden. Once again, syrup was poured over the phyllo and then allowed to cool. Soon after, a scoop of ice cream gets placed in the phyllo nest, a drizzle of Greek honey and sprinkle of baklava filling and once again…some of that poached figs & Mavrodaphne sauce.

The second approach is obviously the easier of the two and they both offer WOW-factor when served: A) present the terrine-style baklava ice cream at the dinner table and serve up slices and drizzle honey and garnish with the poached figs or B) serve the baklava ice cream in the phyllo nests. Both taste fantastic, you get the flavours of Baklava and you’re going to serve a memorable dessert.

Baklava Phyllo Layers

1 pkge. of phyllo (thaw in the fridge overnight)

1 cup melted clarified butter

Nut Filling

2 cups walnuts

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Syrup

2 cups of water

1 cup sugar

2-3 strips of lemon or orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 whole cloves

1/2 cup honey

1. When pouring syrup over phyllo, one component has to be hot and the other has to be cool. So, choose either hot syrup & cold phyllo or hot phyllo and cooled syrup…either method works. Today, we’re going to make the syrup first. Add the water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon peel in to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer and boil for another 6 minutes. Take off the heat and add the honey and allow to cool. Remove rind, cinnamon and cloves.
2. To make the Baklava ice cream in the loaf format, you will need a terrine-type mold. Take your phyllo out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature (15 minutes). Measure the dimensions of your terrine pan and cut 15 sheets of phyllo so that they fill fit in the mold. Brush the top of sheet with melted butter and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle some of the nut mixture with your fingers then top with another layer of phyllo. Repeat until you’ve layred 5 phyllo sheets. Now form two more stacks of phyllo and nuts so that you have a total of three stacks that will help to form your loaf-style Baklava ice cream. Pre-heat your oven to 325F (middle rack) and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until just golden. Remove from the oven and pour 1/2 ladle of  syrup over each stack of phyllo and allow to cool.
3. To assemble the Baklava Ice Cream in the loaf style, you should have your phyllo layers ready before your ice cream is churned. Below is the recipe to for making the cream.

Baklava Ice Cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups of heavy cream

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 whole cloves

1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. of walnut liqueur (almond liqueur is fine)

1/2  cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup honey

1. Add the milk, cream, cinnamon stick, cloves and seeds scraped from a vanilla pod into a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, take off the heat, cover and allow for the spices and vanilla to steep for an hour. Strain and discard cinnamon stick and cloves.
2. Add your egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk until creamed. Now slowly pour your still warm milk/cream into the egg/sugar mixture then pour back into the pot. Place the pot back on your stove-top over medium heat and continuously stir until the base is as thick as cream. Take off the heat and allow to cool in an ice bath or just cool naturally.
3. Place the ice cream base in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to chill completely. As soon as your ice cream base is chilled sufficiently, pour into your ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes. In the meantime, chop the walnuts and mix in a bowl with the liqueur and honey and at the 25 minute mark of churning, add them into your ice cream.
4. As soon as walnuts are mixed into the ice cream, turn off the ice cream maker and it’s time to assemble the terrine-style Baklava. Lay your first layer of baklava in the terrine then spread a good layer of ice cream then another phyllo layer, another ice cream layer and finish with the last layer of phyllo. Sprinkle some of the leftover nut mixture, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight. You should have some extra ice cream – store in a container and freeze overnight.*
5. To serve run your knife around the perimeter of the terrine to loosen the ice cream.Cut a slice and carefully lift out with a spatula. Place flat on a plate, drizzle with good honey and sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Go the extra mile and serve with a Poached Mavrodaphne fig and some sauce.

*Alternate presentation: Cut strips of phyllo, brush with melted butter and place four of them overlapping to fill muffin cup, forming phyllo nests. Bake the phyllo nests in your pre-heated 325F oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Take out of the oven and pour 3-4 Tbsp. of syrup over each phyllo nest and allow to cool. For this presentation, the above ice cream recipe goes all in tub (no terrine, no phyllo layers) and frozen overnight.

Sprinkle some reserved walnut mix in each phyllo nest then drop a scoop of the baklava ice cream. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with more nut mix and…serve with a poached fix and some sauce.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

© 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The varieties of Baklava differ from country to country and even from home to home. A whole book featuring just Baklava recipes could be published! Differing ways to layer the phyllo, olive oil or but (or both) for brushing the phyllo, differing fillings with either walnuts, almonds or pistachios being used, the inclusion of dried fruits even make their way into Baklava.

This in depth recipe comes from Chef Sotiris Evangelou and he calls this offering “Medley of Thessalonikean Delights”. The making and offering of Baklava is not exclusive to the city of Thessaloniki but the city is known for it’s rich cuisine, always presented with panache and little culinary surprises. I think that’s why Evangelou dedicated this stunning tray of varying Baklava-type treats – it’s dramatic, an eye-catcher and one that would make a splash upon presentation as a host/hostess gift or for your family and friends.

The Medley of Thessalonikean Delights requires two packages of phyllo, a batch of syrup, a round baking tray, spices, sugar, dried prunes and an array of nuts for the filling. The Medley is comprised of four different variations of Baklava: the Saragli, the Pouro (cigar), the Horseshoes and the Mantilaki (a pouch made of Phyllo).

Being organized, confident in your handling of phyllo pastry and a desire to share your kitchen creations are your last remaining ingredients to make The Medley. Enough chit-chat, let’s head into the kitchen!

Medley of Thessalonikean Delights (ποικιλια απο θεσσαλονικιώτικες Απολαυσεις)

For the Syrup

2 1/2 cups of sugar

2 1/2 cups of water

3-4 strips of orange peel

2 strips of lemon peel

1 cinnamon stick

3-5 whole cloves

For the Baklava Medley

1 round baking 38cm/15in. in diameter

2 packages of 450 gr. phyllo (thawed overnight in your fridge)

1 lb. of butter, clarified

Filling for Saragli and Cigars

3/4 cup chopped almonds

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. of ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 Tbsp. sugar

Filling for Horseshoes

1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling for the Mantilakia (plural)

1/2 cup chopped (unsalted & shelled) pistachios

4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup chopped prunes

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1. First order of business is making the syrup. When one make these Greek desserts involving syrup, either the syrup has to be hot, the baked item cold or vice-versa. In this case, we are making the syrup first so that it has plenty of time to cool in time for when the baked phyllo is out of the oven. In a medium-sized pot, add your water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange and lemon peels. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 8 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool (remove spices & peels).
2. To clarify your butter, add it to a pot and melt over medium heat. Once melted, take off the heat and allow to cool completely. Place in the fridge and allow to harden. Your clarified butter has hardened on the top and the why and water are in the bottom. Poke a hole and carefully drain-off and discard the water/why. What you have left is clarified butter.
3. Now let’s prepare our fillings: the first batch will be used to fill the Saragli and the cigar-type Baklavas. Add all the ingredients (walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, cl0ve) in a food processor and pulse until a course ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar and mix with a spoon. In another bowl, mix the sesame seeds with the cinnamon, clove and sugar and mix with a spoon and set aside. Now make the Mantilaki filling by adding the pistachios, cinnamon and cloves in the food processor and pulse until a coarse ground. Transfer to another bowl and add the sugar, sesame and chopped prunes and mix with a spoon and set aside.
4. Place your clarified butter on the stove-top and melt over medium heat, keep warm. Assuming that you have thawed your phyllo overnight in your fridge, take out one package and allow to come to room temperature (15 minutes).
5. To make the Saragli, brush your round baking tray (tapsi) with some butter and lay out a sheet of phyllo on your work surface and butter it Spread about 3 Tbsps. of filling over the phyllo and then top with another sheet of phyllo and butter it. Fold-in the outer edges and form into a roll. Now repeat the previous operation to form another roll (second roll). Butter a fifth sheet and place the two completed rolls alongside each other at the bottom of the fifth phyllo sheet. Now tightly roll-up the phyllo with the rolls in the center then cut the Saragli (pinwheels) into equal portions and place flat in the outer part of the pan. Repeat until you’ve completed a the circle of Saragli.
6. For the cigars, you will need a thin wooden dowel, about a foot long. Butter the wooden dowel and then butter a sheet of phyllo followed by another sheet on top and butter it. Sprinkle the area with the filling (same as Saragli) and top with another sheet of phyllo and butter it as well. Now roll the sheets of phyllo tightly around the wooden dowel and then place set the dowel vertically on your work surface and slide the phyllo down and off the dowel. Cut the cylindrical shaped phyllo into equal-sized cigars and line the baking tray beside the Saragli. Repeat until you’ve competed a circle of phyllo cigars.
7. At this point. you will have to take out your second package of phyllo from the fridge and again allow to come to room temperature. We are now going to be using the sesame seed filling. Lay a sheet of phyllo down and butter it then spread some sesame seed mixture over it and fold it in half. Now butter another phyllo sheet and fold it in half and place on top of the folded phyllo with filling. Now butter a third sheet and place two previously folded phyllos on top and roll into a taut cylinder and cut into three equal portions. Bend each portion into a horseshoe shape and place in your tray beside the cigars. Repeat until a circle of horseshoes has been completed. At his point, pre-heat your oven to 350F, middle rack position.
8. For the Mandilaki, we’re using the filling with the prunes and pistachios. Now butter each sheet of phyllo and layer them one  on top of the other. Now cut into 6 squares, spoon the filling into the middle of each square and fold-up each flap towards the center to form a pouch. Place in the remaining space in the middle of the pan.
9. Now brush the tops of your Medley of Baklava treats with the remaining butter and place in your pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until golden. Using a ladle, evenly pour the cooled syrup over the hot phyllo and allow to come to room temperature. Serve room temperature or store covered in a cool, dry spot for up to a week (never place in fridge).
10. Serve with a Greek coffee and cold glass of water.

More Baklava-type desserts:

Chocolate-Covered Baklava

Saragli

Baklava Daisies

Baklava Cigars

Classic Baklava

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

© 2010 – 2011, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.