For Easter: Delightful Cheese-Filled Melitinia

Recipe for a delightful Easter dessert of the isles of the Cyclades.

At Easter, the culinary tradition features a range of desserts from the must-Easter sweet bread tsoureki and butter cookies, koulourakia. 

On the isles of the Small Cyclades it is customary to include melitinia (small cheese-filled tarts) that are served for about 40 days after Easter.

This is recipe was provided to us by our friends at Schinoussa.

Serving size: approximately 35 sweets

Ingredients:

for the phyllo dough:

• 1 glass of warm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 egg
• 1 shot glass of the spirit tsikoudia or tsipouro or ouzo
• 1 kilo (self rising) flour

for the filling:

• 1 kilo (soft) mitzithra cheese (alternate: anthotyro)
• ½ kilo sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 little powder shots of vanilla
• ½ tsp mastic powder

Preparation:

• Prepare the filling first: Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix slowly until all ingredients are combined (for faster results you may use a hand mixer on slow speed).
• Phyllo dough: In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the phyllo and mix into a dough. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
• When the dough is ready, spread the dough with a rolling pin and with a glass, carefully cut out round pieces.
• Place a 1 tbsp of the filling inside each round piece of dough and turn up the edges creating a form of a basket.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
• Garnish with cinnamon. Cool and serve.