It is definitely one of the most delicious, Cypriot recipes. It is a sweet round small dough filled with creamy tahini and cinnamon. Part of its beauty is the way the tahini mixes with the dough and sometimes, drips and caramelizes in the oven.
To create its shape it always needs to be rolled. I usually make a large tahini pie when I am asked to make it at home, but occasionally I like to create individual tahini pies which are just as delicious and easier to store.This sweet treat is the perfect way for me to welcome autumn. So let’s get baking.
Traditional small tahini pies
It is definitely one of the most delicious, Cypriot recipes. It is a sweet round small dough filled with creamy tahini and cinnamon. Part of its beauty is the way the tahini mixes with the dough and sometimes, drips and caramelizes in the oven.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 400 grams flour, rustic
- 40 grams sugar, granulated
- 7 grams dry yeast
- ¼ tsp baking soda, (2 g)
- ¼ tsp salt, (4 g)
- 50 grams olive oil
- 100 grams fresh orange juice
- 110 grams water, lukewarm
For the syrup
- 70 grams water
- 100 grams honey
- ½ orange, peel
For the filling
- 200 grams tahini, raw
- 70 grams tahini, dark
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 55 grams sugar, soft brown
- 70 grams sugar, granulated
- 1 Tbsp carob
Instructions
- First, prepare the dough. Place the flour in the bowl of a mixer. Add the sugar, yeast, baking soda and salt. Mix and add the orange juice, water and olive oil. Knead with the hook for 5 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and allow to rise for 2-3 hours, until doubled in volume.
- To make the syrup, combine the water, honey and orange peel in a small saucepan. Once boiling, remove from the heat. Set the syrup aside to cool.
- To make the filling, mix all the ingredients except the carob in a bowl. Add the carob and mix gently until just combined (the carob thickens the tahini so the more you mix, the thicker the filling will become).
- When the dough has risen, divide it into 100g pieces, each 100 grams. We’ll make 14 tahini pies. Use the rolling pin to roll out a rectangle of about 15 x 30 cm. Spread some filling all over and roll up into a roll. Divide the roll in half and set aside to rest. Continue with the remaining dough and filling.
- Take a piece of the rolls you made and roll it on the counter to make it longer (if it pulls and doesn’t roll, then the dough needs to rest for another 5 minutes). Roll the dough and create an “S” shape. Fold in half and roll out the tahini pie with a rolling pin to make it flatter.
- Transfer the tahini pies to an oven tray. Let them stand for 15 minutes. Bake at 175˚ C, in the air for 20 minutes. While they are still warm, use a pastry brush to brush them with the syrup.
