Loukoumades are Greek doughnuts which are fried and shaped into small round balls, served with honey, cinnamon and walnuts or plain in Cyprus dipped in sugar syrup.
Dough
Eliopita, Elioti or Eliopitakia are Cypriot olive pastries made either as a bread, as a roulade, as turnovers or a pie, to accompany a cup of coffee or tea.
Akoumia Symiaka (means doughnuts or donuts from Symi island). Symi is a small island of the Dodekanese to the north of Rhodes. These akoumia are not widely known even by Greeks because they are Symi’s local traditional doughnut recipe and are made only on the island of Symi.
Pischies is a Cypriot traditional fried pastry dessert made with dough on which it is generously brushed with olive oil, cinnamon and sugar and after shaping them they are fried in olive oil and then bathed in syrup.
At the beginning of this month I wrote about the tradition of baking Christopsomo (which translates as “Christ’s Bread”) and I baked one so that the readers of my blog could actually see the whole procedure beforehand and bake one on Christmas Eve, if they liked. Today however, is the day we are actually baking …
Christopsomo, which translates as “Christ’s Bread”- pron. Christopsomo also named kouloúra tou Christoú (round bread of Christ), is usually a round loaf often made with the same ingredients as Easter bread. Raisins, nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are just a few of the taste treats found in this traditional sweet loaf.
Cypriot Traditional Tahinopita is a Lenten or vegan sweet bread, which is very flavourful as it is filled with tahini, sugar and cinnamon.
These mini flaounes or flaounitses as we call them, are easy to make and are an excellent snack and the perfect finger food for parties.
The queen of taste, the black olive owes a lot to the Greek fertile earth which gifts it a superb light buttery taste, features in many pastry recipes. Eliopitakia. Eliopsomo (Olive Bread) Lagana Olives and Carrot Bread Sticks and rolls Whole Wheat Focaccia with Kalamata Olives
Ravioles is a Cypriot specialty, similar to ravioli, probably having its roots from the Venetian times. In Cyprus this pasta dish is filled with aged halloumi, eggs and mint and they are cooked in chicken broth.