Greek dessert recipes can be as simple as Greek manouri cheese drizzled with honey and chopped walnuts. And a Greek rice pudding recipe is also quick to make and is definitely a Greek comfort food - one that you really don't see too much of anymore.
Unfortunately, a Greek baklava recipe is one of the most tedious Greek dessert recipes that you can make.
However, you can save time and make it a little easier on yourself by using a simple gluten free alternative instead of the layers and layers of filo dough.
Greek Dessert Recipes - Greek Rice Pudding Recipe
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of Fresh Whole Milk
3/4 cup Filtered or Spring Water
2 oz. of Organic Sugar
1 tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Tbsp. of Organic Corn Starch or Organic Arrowroot Powder
2 Tbsp. Organic Short Grain Sweet Rice
Ceylon Cinnamon for Garnish
Arrowroot powder is a grain free and gluten free starch.
Arrowroot is very popular in the Paleo community and is used to thicken sauces as well as create a smooth consistency in food.
I would probably use a lower glycemic sweetener such as palm sugar or coconut sugar in my Greek dessert recipes. It's light brown in color and tasty.
You could also use raw coconut nectar which is more like a brown syrup - which is a lot easier to use in Greek dessert recipes.
It adds a more luscious texture and does not need to be melted down like sugar crystals.
Instructions:
Wash the rice and boil the water. Put the rice into the boiling water and then lower the heat to a low-medium heat.
Stir the rice for about 10 minutes. Then add 1 1/2 cups of your milk and stir occasionally for 10 minutes on a low-medium heat. Add in the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Stir in corn starch or arrowroot to the reserved 1 cup of cold milk and then add to hot mixture - mix well. Then turn up heat to medium and stir constantly for the next 15 minutes to thicken your pudding - do not burn the milk!
Finally, stir in vanilla and when pudding has reached the desired consistency - remove from heat. Serve Greek rice pudding cold or warm garnished with cinnamon.
Greek Dessert Recipes - Greek Baklava Recipe
As you can see, making Baklava is pretty labor intensive. I have only watched 1 friend make this dessert - once.
You can experiment with the various types of nuts for the filling of your Baklava. I kind of prefer walnuts as they will help to balance out the sweetness of this Greek dessert.
2 to 3 Large Medjool Dates (pitted & finely chopped)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
Organic Rice Paper Wrappers
Healthier Syrup Ingredients & Instructions:
3/4 cup Organic Sugar
1/3 cup Organic Honey
3/4 cup Hot Filtered Water
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
As you can see - baklava is pretty high in sugar. I would probably just drizzle a little honey on mine and forget about making the syrup. And I would also bake my baklava between 350 to 400 degrees F. for a little longer.
Instructions:
In a bowl combine the wet ingredients - beaten eggs, oil, and yogurt.
In another bowl combine the dry ingredients - walnuts, raisins, sugar, dates, and baking powder.
Then combine the wet and dry ingredients together - mix well.
Put the rice paper wrappers in lukewarm water to soften. And use two rice papers per baklava.
Spread about 2 Tbsp. of baklava mixture in the center of the rice papers.
Then fold the sides of the rice paper over the mixture. And make four triangular folds.
Arrange (tightly) in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 482 degrees F.
Remove baklava from the oven and put on a cooling rack. Add lemon
slices on top and pour syrup over the warm baklava - let cool for 3 hrs.
Greek Dessert Recipes - Manouri Cheese
Ingredients:
Round Slices of Manouri Cheese
Organic Chopped Nuts
Raw Organic Honey
Manouri cheese is an alabaster white Greek cheese that has a creamy texture reminiscent of cheesecake. It is lower in salt and has a citrus flavor which makes it ideal for a dessert.
Instructions:
Basically, you would cut your cheese into round slices and lay them decoratively on a plate.
Next, you would add some chopped nuts and drizzle with a tasty
honey. You could even add some freshly cut fruit around your cheese
slices and you've got dessert!
A fancier option is to poach some figs in a sweet red wine sauce
and decorate your cheese slices with poached figs and the sweet red wine
sauce - Yummy!
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