Monday's Greek Recipe - Milk Pies with Macedonian Halva and Chocolate

Photo Credit

A. Ingredients (for 6 tartlets)

• 2 crusty phyllo sheets
• 400 gr. fresh milk
• 100 gr fresh cream
• 30gr coarsley ground blanched almonds
• 4 egg yolks
• 50 gr corn flour
• 1 cup crumbled vanilla Macedonian halva
• 1 cup dark chocolate shavings (52% cocoa)
• olive oil for the phyllo
• confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) for sprinkling
• cocoa powder for sprinkling

B. Directions

1. Pour milk, cream and almonds into a large pot and heat over medium heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and corn flour until well blended.
3. As soon as the milk is hot, pour half over the egg mixture and whisk vigorously.
4. Pour this mixture back into the remaining milk whisking all the while over low heat until thick and frothy.
5. Remove and cool for a few minutes.
6. Add the halva and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts. Cover with plastic wrap.
7. Brush 6 tartlet pans or ramekins with olive oil. Cut the phyllo sheets into 18 equal squares and fit three each, oiling between the sheets, into the tartlet pans or ramekins.
8. Divide the cream filling evenly among the tartlets and bake in a preheated oven at 180*C / 350*F until golden brown.
9. Remove the tartlets from the oven and let cool slightly.
10. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cocoa powder and serve.

Recipe by Dina Nikolaou

Source: Kerasma

Comments

[Karolina]

Milk pies are generally very popular in Macedonia - right after our famous bougatsa. My mother makes milk pies with chocolate and halva but instead of vanilla halva, she prefers the one with pistachio nuts which are great with the chocolate. I must learn to make it too!

[Constantinos]

I'm not crazy about milk pies but I may change my mind now. This one looks really tempting. The dark chocolate must make all the difference.

[Stefania]

It seems to me a bit fussy to make but it's certainly a very original version of the traditional galatopita.

[Laura]

I love milk pies and enjoy making them, even though in the UK they're not very popular nowadays. I mix sugar (partly brown, mostly white), flour and salt in a pie shell with my fingers and add the cream. I finish filling the crust with milk and sprinkle with nutmeg. Then I bake for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Now I like the idea of adding some dark chocolate!

[Ted S]

I have just survived Thanksgiving dinner... I felt so guilty that I promised all my family that I'd go on diet first thing Tuesday morning. And first thing Tuesday morning, I visit your blog and wish I could grab that greek milk pie in the pic! But I couldn't. So I asked my wife if there were any of her unique pumpkin cakes with sour cream apple caraamel left. She said no but she was lying!

[Lisa A]

Dio Mio! I love this desert!!! Delizioso!But I have a question. What is halva?

[Lakis Ioannou]

I have eaten the best milk pies ever in Macedonia, Greece. I'll never forget the galatopitta I had in a small local taverna in Drama. This one looks very different but I bet it's like a sinful delight... How many calories per tartlet by the way?

[Anastasia]

Lisa,in Greece and Cyprus halva is used to describe two types of desserts:

* Flour-based: This type of halva is slightly gelatinous and made from grain flour, typically semolina. The primary ingredients are oil, flour, and sugar.
* Nut-butter-based: This type of halva is crumbly and usually made from Tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter. The primary ingredients are nut-butter and sugar. This is the type used in this recipe. You can find it in supermarkets all over Europe. Just look for Macedonian Halva.

[Anastasia]

Well, Lakis. The recipe doesn't say, but my estimate is 650 per tartlet!

[Tipper]

Looks so yummy-and fancy too : )