Greek Dessert Needed

[LynnSC]

I am in search of a Greek dessert. Does anyone have a lowfat recipe?? I have done several searches in several different websites and can't find one that is lowfat. I am learning that Baklava and lowfat don't go together! :-) Any suggestions would be helpful!

[Ralph]

Lynn, I suspect you're right - I don't think baklava & low-fat go together! I didn't find much in my search, either. However, at www.ucook.com, (http://www.ucook.com,) they reference a baklava recipe from the American Heart Association cookbook that has only 174 calories (36% from fat) per serving; unfortunately, it doesn't post the whole recipe! They recommend buying the book! (I guess it's off to Borders!) On the other hand, searching that same site with restrictions of Greek cuisine & dessert gave me 26 matches(!), but again without cooking instructions other than buying the book the recipes are in. Most of them come from the book "Secrets of Fat-Free Greek Cooking."
Although not the classic baklava, www.epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com) has the following recipe that doesn't look too fat-laden:

ORANGE AND DATE BAKLAVA
This version of the Greek and Turkish dessert features dates instead of nuts. Date palms flourish in the hot climate of the Middle East.

For syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For filling
3 cups whole pitted dates
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice

For baklava
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 sheets fresh phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed (each about 18 x 14 inches)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Make syrup:
Stir first 3 ingredients in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in honey, orange flower water and almond extract. Cool.

Make filling:
Combine first 4 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until dates are minced. Add juice; process until coarse paste forms.

Make baklava:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Stack phyllo on work surface. Using bottom of 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan as guide, cut out two 8-inch-square stacks, making 24 squares.

Butter inside of same pan. Place 2 phyllo squares in pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar. Repeat layering of phyllo squares (2 at a time), butter and sugar 4 more times (a total of 10 phyllo squares). Spread half of filling over. Top with 2 phyllo squares. Brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Repeat with 2 more squares, butter and sugar. Spread with remaining filling. Layer 10 squares (2 at a time) over filling, brushing with butter and sprinkling with sugar. Using knife, score top into 16 squares (do not cut through to filling).

Bake baklava until deep golden, about 30 minutes. Cut through scored lines to bottom of pan. Spoon cool syrup over hot baklava. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover. Let stand at room temperature.)

Makes 16 pieces.

Bon Appétit
October 1997

Good luck.

[Deanna]

SOAR (http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes) has 412 Greek recipes...scanning the list I saw a number of dessert, pastry, or cookie recipes. It might be worth taking a look to see if you can find something there...in the meantime, here are a couple that sounded pretty good to ME!

MILOPITA (GREEK APPLE PASTRY)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb Commercial filo sheets
-----FILLING-----
8 Apples*
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Allspice
1 T Cornstarch
1/4 c Currants or raisins
1/2 c Walnuts
1/2 c Butter -- melted
-----TOPPING-----
1 c Powdered sugar

*Note- Apples should be cored, peeled and chopped. If desired, 2 cups
canned apples (drained) may be substituted.
Defrost frozen filo to room temperature, 2 to 4 hours. Mix filling in a
bowl tossing ingredients with a spoon. Set aside.
Lay 5 sheets filo flat, one on top of each other, with a little melted
butter brushed between the sheets. Spread 1 cup of filling along one end.
Roll filo over the apple filling so you will have a long filled tube.
Fold side edges over 1/2" so filling won't fall out. Continue rolling.
Place in a buttered baking pan or cookie sheet. Brush tops generously
with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Sift powdered sugar
over tops and sides as soon as it is taken out of the oven and while still
hot. When cool, cut into 2" pieces and serve.

Title: PAXIMADIA: GREEK WALNUT COOKIE SLICES
Categories: Cookies, Ethnic
Yield: 1 servings

1 c Oil
1 1/2 c Sugar
3 Eggs
4 c Flour
2 1/2 ts Baking powder
1 ts Cinnamon
1/2 ts Allspice
1/2 c Walnuts or almonds chopped
1 ts Anise ( optional )

These are very similar to biscotti but are not necessarily twice baked. I make this at Christmas time for my Greek friends. Beat oil and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine remaining ingrdients and mix into creamed mixture with wooden spoon. Form dough into 4 oval loaves on baking sheet. Score into 1/2 inch slices. Bake 325 for 25 minutes or done. Slice completly through while warm and cool completely. These freeze well. If you want a harder cookie you can return just baked cookie to
oven, reducing heat 200 and bake 20 minutes longer.


Title: Revani (Semolina Cake)
Categories: Cakes, Greek, Desserts
Yield: 16 servings

1/2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 1/3 c Fine semolina or farina
4 lg Eggs; separated
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Olive oil
2 Lemons; grated zest only
1/2 ts Almond extract
1/2 c Orange juice
1 ts Vinegar; for the bowl
1/16 ts Cream of tartar
1/2 c Blanched, slivered almonds

MMMMM---------------------------SYRUP--------------------------------
3/4 c Sugar
2 Lemons; zested and juiced
1 1/2 c -Water
1/4 ts Almond extract

Make the syrup ahead. Combine the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and
water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes then add
the almond extract. Remove and chill overnight.

Line a 10-inch-square cake pan, that is at least 3-inches deep, with
parchment. Sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir in
the semolina. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, olive oil, lemon zest, and
almond extract together until pale and creamy. Beat in the flour
mixture, splashing with orange juice to moisten it.

Wipe a mixing bowl with a cloth moistened with vinegar, then put in
the egg whites. Beat with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks
form, then fold into the batter. Pour into the pan and sprinkle with
the almonds.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for about 45 minutes until golden
brown. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, cut into squares.
Slowly pour the chilled syrup over it.

Makes 16 slices

Source: Recipes from a Greek Island, by Susie Jacobs
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias


[This message has been edited by Deanna (edited 07-29-2000).]

[Natasha]

If you can find a good recipe for Greek Honey Cake I would highly recommend it. It can be simply sublime. The best one I ever had was, sadly, one of those recipes that I think is lost for all time (it was from the mother of a friend of a friend). The ones I ve had since haven t been as good, but based on how good it CAN be, it s worth a try. I saw one or two recipes on the web (maybe at www.soar.berkeley.edu?) (http://www.soar.berkeley.edu?)) that weren t particularly light but could be tinkered with. Sorry I don t have a tried-and-true for you, though. Good luck!

[Grace]

Here's a low-fat one from CL for Yugoslavian Baklava, which looks very nearly the same to Greek Baklava to me.....

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Cesnica (Yugoslavian Baklava)

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: Holiday 1991 PAGE: 51

INGREDIENTS FOR 10 SERVINGS:
Butter Flavored vegetable cooking spray
6 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. shopped walnuts, toasted
2 Tblsp. margarine, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:
Coat an 8 inch round cake pan with cooking spray, set aside

Stack phyllo sheets, cut in half crosswise. Gently press 1 half-sheet of
phyllo into cake pan, allowing ends to extend over edges of pany. lightly
coat phyllo with cooking spray. Place another half-sheet of phyllo across
first sheet to form a crisscross design; lightly coat with cooking spray.
Repeat procedure with another half-sheet of phyllo and cooking spray.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons raisins and 1 tablespoon walnuts over phyllo. Place
another half sheet of phyllo in pan, continuing in a crisscross design,
lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons raisins and 1
tablespoon walnuts over phyllo. Repeat procedure with 5 half-sheets of
phyllo, cooking spray, remaining 1/2 cup raisins, and remaining 1/4 cup
walnuts, ending with phyllo coated with cooking spray.

Lightly coat 1 side of remaining 3 half-sheets of phyllo, and gently layer
each into cake pan to form a crisscross design, allowing ends to extend over
edges of pan. Fold in edges of phyllo to fit pan and form a rim.

Score diamond shapes into top layers of phyllo, using a sharp knife. Drizzle
margarine over phyllo. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden.

Combine honey, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from
heat; drizzle honey mixture over phyllo. Cool completely in pan.

Yield: 10 servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
179 calories / Fat 5.4 g

There was also a picture of this in the magazine, and it looked very good! Hope this helps..

Grace

[LynnSC]

Thank you so much for all of your responses and work in helping me find a dessert! I really appreciate it! I will report back when I actually get to make one. Our cooking club meets in two weeks and our theme is "Greek". Thanks again!!!!!!!
Lynn

P.S. Grace, I thought I had searched all of CL for recipes, how did you find that one? You're great! :-)

[Grace]

I found it in my Cooking Light Cookware program! Actually, I don't have diskettes of the CL recipes from before June 1995, so I have been spending some time typing recipes in from the older issues, and I remember typing that one in! Let me know how it turns out if you make it, my sister is married to a Yugoslavian guy, and I thought I might want to make it for him sometime! Thanks and enjoy...

Grace

[StaceyH]

Hi,
I'm brand new to this board but I hope this helps.

This recipe came from Cooking Light May 1994 via the Best of Mastercook recipe program (which I recommend). They didn't have any nutritional information with it but it claims to have half the calories of regular baklava and based on the Mastercook Nutrional breakdown it has 242 Calories, 9 g of fat, 0mg cholesterol, 232 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrates and 2 g of dietary fiber. If you want any more specific information just post the request.
Orange-Pistachio Baklava

Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped pistachios
3/4 cup wheat saltine cracker crumbs (20 crackers)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, and undiluted
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Combine pistachios, cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl; stir well, and set aside.

Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, lightly coat each sheet with cooking spray. Fold phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form a 13 x 8-1/2-inch rectangle; lightly coat both sides of rectangle with cooking spray. Place in bottom of prepared pan, and sprinkle 3 tablespoons pistachio mixture over phyllo. Repeat procedure with 9 sheets of phyllo, cooking spray, and remaining pistachio mixture, ending with pistachio mixture. Lightly coat remaining 2 sheets of phyllo with cooking spray. Fold each sheet in half crosswise to form a 13 x 8-1/2-inch rectangle; lightly coat both sides of each rectangle with cooking spray. Layer each into baking pan.

With a very sharp knife, score diamond shapes, 3/4-inch deep, into layers of phyllo. Drizzle margarine over phyllo. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden.

Combine honey and next 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; drizzle honey mixture over phyllo. Cool completely in pan.

(serving size: 1 [3-1/4 x 2-1/4-inch] bar)

[LynnSC]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Grace:
[B]Here's a low-fat one from CL for Yugoslavian Baklava, which looks very nearly the same to Greek Baklava to me.....

Our cooking group made this dessert for our August dinner. It was wonderful. Thanks for posting it!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif