What's a good Greek dessert to make and bring to a dinner party?

baklava

Since Baklava is quite common as a "greek dessert", I would suggest

- galaktoboureko. A recipe is here

http://www.xerocamboscreta.com/Cucina%20Greca%20uk...

- karydopita. A recipe:

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/ethnic-recipes/...

Desserts "of the spoon" (conserved fruit in syrup) are also very common and traditional.

-http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=2544...

http://greekfood.about.com/od/dessertspastriesswee...

Hi there!

I don't know of a recipe per se that you could use, however, there is a great website that I've used for international foods that would help you out. It's called:

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/greek/

You'll need to search through to find a recipe.... but at least you have a variety of options and choices to choose from.

Hope this helps! Good luck & happy cooking!

Oh yeah! A big thumbs up to the baklava.

Layer some phyllo dough with butter, cinnamon and nuts. Bake until warm and light golden brown. Top it with some honey syrup and try your best to wait (not easy) until it cools off before eating it.

Here's a recipe for Baklava - or if all else fails you could go to a greek store or restuarant and buy it there:

Baklava

From Diana Rattray,

Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.

Use walnuts, pecans, or other nuts in this delicious baklava.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound frozen phyllo sheets

1 cup melted butter

2 cups finely chopped walnuts or blanched almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup honey

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

PREPARATION:

Directions for baklava

Thaw phyllo pastry and separate sheets according to package directions. Keep pastry not being used covered with clean damp dish towel to keep it from drying out. Place half of pastry sheets in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, one by one, brushing each sheet quickly and all over with melted butter.

Combine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered pastry. Place remaining sheets on top, brushing each with melted butter. Cut baklava pastry into 2-inch diamonds. Bake at 400° until brown and crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar, honey, 1 cup water, and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Boil baklava syrup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until syrupy. Cool and pour over baklava.

Here's another recipe I found, it's easier but it probably won't be as big of a hit:

Rizogalo - Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons uncooked Rice

1 cup Water

1 quart Milk

1 1/2 tablespoons Flour

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon or lemon rind Vanilla

Cinnamon

Directions:

Boil water; add rice, stir once and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add milk and simmer 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Mix flour with 4 tablespoons water.

Add to rice mixture slowly and stir.

Add sugar and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, add vanilla or lemon rind, and pour into 4 individual custard cups or small dishes. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Baklava is wonderful but if you have never worked with phillo dough it can be intimidating. Otherwise here are some recipes to look at. Good Luck and save me some! Julie :)

http://greekfood.about.com/od/dessertspastriesswee...

Almond Pears -- Amygthalota

1 lb. blanched Almonds

1 cup Sugar

5 tablespoons (Cream of wheat) Semolina

1 lb icing Sugar

1 1/2 cup Orange Flower Water

Butter

Cloves

Mix the almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar and grind them fine. Or use commercially ground almonds. Add remaining sugar, semolina, and 6 tablespoons orange flower water. Knead this mixture to a soft dough. If too stiff add 1 or 2 tablespoons orange flower water. Break off small pieces, the size of a walnut and shape into pears. At the end of each, insert 1 clove for the stalk. Arrange on a buttered and floured baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a slow oven. When the almond pears are cool, dip them quickly into orange flower water and then coat with icing sugar. After a few minutes coat them again in icing sugar

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Copenhayi

6 separated Eggs

1/2 cup Sugar

4 tablespoons Orange Juice

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 1/2 cup ground unblanched Almonds

3/4 cup toasted Breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon Salt

3/4 lb. Phyllo (pastry sheets)

2/3 cup clarified Butter

For the Syrup:

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

juice of 1/2 Lemon

Beat egg yolks with the sugar mixture until mixture is very thick. Add orange juice, cinnamon, baking powder, almonds and toasted breadcrumbs.

Beaat egg whites with salt until stiff, but not dry and fold into the almond mixture.

Line a greased baking pan with half of the pastry sheets, brushing each sheet liberally with butter. Turn almond mixture into the pan and cover with remaining buttered pastry sheets. Make four long slits in the first 3 pastry sheets with a sharp knife. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a saucepan boil sugar, water, and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Pour hot syrup over almond pie. When cold, cut into squares. Makes 24-28 pieces.

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Greek Doughnuts -- Svinghi

1/3 cup Butter

1 cup Water

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated Orange Rind

1 cup, sifted Flour

3 Eggs

for frying Olive Oil

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Cinnamon

Place butter in a small saucepan. Add water, salt, sugar, orange rind; bring to a boil. Add all the flour at once; stir until smooth. Cook, stirring until the mixture leaves sides of pan in a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat and cool till lukewarm. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition till smooth.

Drop dough from a teaspoon into plenty of hot olive oil. Cook over a moderately slow heat only as many doughnuts at a time as will float easily in oil. As soon as doughnuts rise to surface, turn with a long handled fork. Turn often until golden. Remove, hold over oil 1 second; drain on absorbent paper.

Prepare syrup as follows: boil 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice for 10 minutes. Pour syrup over doughnuts, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve hot.

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Jam Tart -- Pasta Flora

3 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 cup unsalted, or margarine Butter

1/3 cup Sugar

2 Egg Yolks

2 tablespoons Brandy

1 tablespoon grated or Lemon rind

1 teaspoon or any flavor desired Vanilla

1 lb apricot or strawberry jam jam

blanched Almonds

Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a bowl. Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat them together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. To ensure that all the sugar is blended in, scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time. Add the egg yolks one by one. Then add the brandy and the flavoring. Stop beating, and fold in the flour a little at a time, with a wooden spoon, blending it evenly into the mixture. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, mix the four by hand until the dough is light and smooth. Avoid overworking the dough. This would strengthen the gluten, making the dough tough when baked. On a floured surface, roll out 2/3 of the dough into a round and line a greased 10-inch pie dish. Spread the jam over the dough. Roll out the reserved dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch and cut it into strips 1/2 inch wide. Lay them across the filling in lattice pattern. Decorate with the almonds and bake the tart in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until slightly golden. Store the tart, uncovered in a dry, cool place to prevent it from getting soggy. It can be kept one week at room temperature.

baklava