Kaltsounia



Kaltsounia are a Cretan cheese pastry. Our mother, being from the island of Crete, used to make these all the time and we would gobble them up just as fast as she could make them.  There are many variations depending on what part of Crete you’re from. They are traditionally sweet cheese pastries but mom used to make them savory. And they are usually made with fresh Mitzithra (not the hard, salty Mitzithra most of us know) or Manouri but we made them with Ricotta, as Ricotta is much easier to find here. We used part skim to lower the fat.  We also made our own quick dough but you can certainly use store bought dough or maybe grab some from your favorite bakery if you don’t have the time to make it yourself. You can also add fresh mint or spinach for extra nutrition. These are one of our favorite treats! Enjoy!