Dough for Koulouria

1,1/4 kg flour

3/4 glass of corn oil or 1/2 glass Spry-Crisco (shortening)

3 heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

A little masticha (resin) mechlepi (a sweet smelling spice) pounded with a little sugar

3 egg yolks well beatten

As much milk as it will take to make a dough that can be rolled out - about 1 litre

350 gr. Blanched sesame

Some sugar (optional)

1 egg yolk to brush koulouria

1,1/4 kg grated cheese; to this add as many eggs as the cheese will take (about 1-2 dozen). It very much depends on whether your cheese is fresh (soft) or old ( hard). Fresh cheese needs fewer eggs. (But have 3 dozen at hand).

A handful of dried, finely rubbed mint

2 tablespoons of flour or semolina

Beat the eggs with the fat, then add flour and the baking powder, spices, etc. and enough milk to make a dough that will not stick to your hands.

Koullouria :Form into little loaves about 15-20 cm. And brush with a beaten yolk of an egg and cover with sesame seeds. Then cut 3 incisions across. Bake in a medium oven, Reg.6, 350° F, 190° C.

Flaounes : Mix everything (for the filling) and then let it stand until needed (overnight). The following morning "you wake up" the filling by adding 3-4 more eggs.

Roll out your dough to a thickness of about 1/2 cm. Cut out 15 cm. rounds. Heap centre with egg and cheese filling (1 heaped tablespoon of filling) and fold dough around the sides to form a triangle (as indicated below) or square with the centre of the filling showing. (For cutting the shape I used one of my pot lids!)

Sesame : Put the sesame into a sausepan with water and bring to boil. Then drain and place sesame seeds into a large plate and as each flaouna is ready put onto sesame and cover completely to get a layer of it all round, then place onto buttered tray. Bake in medium oven for about 1/2 an hour or until golden brown (you make 24 medium sized flaounes).

They can be deep frozen and warmed up in the oven before serving with coffee or tea. You may make quite small flaounes or large ones as you please. Some people add various spices to them, even raisins. This is a matter of personal taste.