Definitely one of the most delicious, traditional Cypriot recipes. Tahini pie is probably one of the most profit making items in any bakery store in Cyprus. It’s a sweet pastry coil, filled with creamy tahini and cinnamon. I absolutely love it, so creating a simpler version for the home baker was something I really wanted to create.
Of course, there is a limit to how simple you can go when creating a tahini pie. Part of it’s beauty is the way tahini blends with the pastry and sometimes even oozes out and caramelizes in the oven. So there is always some rolling involved. But baking a single larger pie instead of many smaller ones, will make your life (and this pie) a lot less complicated.
One of the secrets I have learned from bakery shops, is to use brown tahini (whole-wheat tahini) in the filling. It makes a difference in the rustic appearance of the pie, and adds amazing taste. It’s the closest I could get to bakery style tahini pie. However, if you cannot get your hands on brown tahini, then just replace with the regular one.
Carob molasses is another ingredient I wanted to talk to you about. Cyprus is famous for its carob trees and carob molasses production. It’s superfood too! It’s perfect with tahini and a popular addition to sweets as a natural sweetener. I used no white sugar in this pie. Instead I added brown sugar and carob molasses in the filling. One piece of advise though: Don’t overmix when adding the carob to tahini as it thickens it. Just mix until just distributed (not even totally combined).
I baked it in a 28 cm round cake pan. Sometimes, I even use disposable aluminum pans. Whatever you do, you will love this recipe, just as I love it too. For me it’s the proper way to welcome autumn. And the official ending to bikini season. So, let’s bake.
Tashinopita (Tahini Pie)
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 80 grams honey
- 60 grams water
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the dough:
- 400 grams bread flour
- 35 grams granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dry yeast 7 g
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 70 grams olive oil
- 200 grams water
For the filling:
- 200 grams tahini paste
- 100 grams dark tahini wholewheat
- 100 grams soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 50 grams carob molasses
Instructions
- Prepare the syrup by combining everything in a small saucepan. As soon as it boils, remove from heat and let it cool.
Make the dough:
- Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, baking soda and salt. Add the water and olive oil and mix until you have a soft dough. Place dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours.
Make the filling:
- Mix tahini paste, dark tahini, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the carob molasses and mix only a few seconds until just distributed. Overmixing may cause filling to thicken too much which makes spreading difficult.
- Place a piece of greaseproof paper in a round 26-28 cm pan. Preheat the oven to 175° C.
- When the dough has risen, divide into 4 parts. Roll each piece into a rectangle of approximately 30 x 20 cm. Spread a quarter of the filling on each rectangle and roll it up. Using your hands, roll back and forth each piece to elongate it, until it reaches double in size. Twist each roll like a rope. Make a coil and place in the centre of the baking pan. Continue with the remaining three pieces of dough and place around the coil.
- Cover with a kitchen towel. Let the tahini pie rest for 30 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until dark brown. As soon as you take the pie out of the oven, brush the entire surface with the syrup. Leave to cool and serve.
