Apart from the beautiful Chora and its beaches, Tinos stands out for its gastronomy. It is difficult to be on this island of the Cyclades Complex and not enjoy the good food and also its sweets. Most of the population of Tinos is engaged in agriculture, husbandry and fishing, which is what has affected the cuisine of the island. This fertile Cycladic island, with its famous local products and gastronomic fiestas, opens your appetite from the moment you go out to the port in the morning. What is the best way to start your culinary journey but to try the sweet cheese pies, one of the most famous dishes in Tinos island?
Tinos and its beauties
As long as you hear Tinos’ name, it’s more likely that two things come to mind. One is Megalochari (The Church of the Virgin Mary) and the second is the great artists of Tinos, sculptors and painters, who conquered with their art not only Greece but also the rest of the world, namely Gyzis, Lytras, Chalepas, Filippotis and Sochos. The “muse of the Aegean” has countless hidden beauties and retreats for those who want a peaceful and relaxing holiday.
One of the villages you should definitely visit is Pyrgos. Birthplace of Giannoulis Chalepas and other artists as well, Pyrgos has been designated an open-air museum of folk art, which keeps the traditional Cycladic architecture unchanged. You will walk in its freshly whitened streets with the flowery bougainvillaea that create a magnificent setting and you will notice the marble door-margins of the houses, the embossed decorations and the ornate motifs.
Moreover, one of the most picturesque and beautiful villages of Tinos, Kardiani, will definitely steal a piece of your heart away. Characterized by the Ministry of Culture, as a traditional settlement, it is built in an idyllic location, on the slope of Mount Peteles, while the abundant running water of the area has done its miracle, having the settlement embraced by sycamore trees and lush vegetation.
Recipe for sweet cheese pies
Photo Source: gastrotourismos.gr
Materials needed
For the filling:
1 kg of petroma cheese or any other sweet myzithra cheese
1/2 kg of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 k C. Cinnamon
1/2 a cup. of tea orange juice
1/4 k. C. Cloves
For the sheet:
1 kg of all-purpose flour
juice of 1 orange
1/4 k. C. Salt
1 egg
2 k. p. Olive oil
Sugar for sprinkling
Implementation:
In a spacious bowl, mix the flour with the other ingredients for the sheet until you succeed by kneading a medium dough – neither too hard nor too soft. Divide it into orange-sized balls. Then, open the sheet on a lightly floured work surface as thinly as possible with the help of a rolling pin. In a bowl, break the myzithra cheeewith a fork and add all the ingredients of the filling, making a tight mixture.
Take the sheet and cut it into round pieces with the rim of a glass. In the centre of each round piece, add a spoonful of mixture. Then lift the edges of the sheet and pinch them around with a toothpick so that it becomes a fine pleat.
Place the cheese pies in a baking pan and sprinkle with sugar. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake until they become golden brown, for about half an hour.
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