Yiayia Maria beautifully recollects her childhood years in Crete making sweet Mizithropita (ricotta pie) alongside her mother and grandmother. A dish that she has cooked for many decades and a recipe that she now passes on to her granddaughters to be cooked and shared with the same love. Yiayia Maria’s Mizithropita is a wonderful dish, where a sweet ricotta mixture is encased in golden Fillo Pastry and drizzled with honey.
Ingredients
375 g Antoniou Fillo Pastry
1.5 kg ricotta cheese, drained of any excess liquid
4 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
½ cup honey (plus extra honey to serve)
Method
Before you begin this Filo Pastry recipe, take your Filo Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
For the filling
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Mix gently until everything has been well combined. Set aside.
Assembling the pita
Grease a 35cm round baking tray with butter. Drape one sheet of Filo Pastry in the base of the tray, allowing the excess Fillo to hang over the sides. Brush the Fillo with butter. Continue this process, using half of the Fillo Pastry packet until the base is all covered (ensuring you butter between each layer). As you layer each sheet of Fillo, rotate them slightly so that the base covers evenly.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the Fillo Pastry. Lay a sheet of Fillo over the mixture and press down gently, brush with butter. Allow the excess Fillo to overhang or sit against the sides of the tray.
Repeat this process with the remaining half packet of Fillo, rotating each sheet slightly, so that the excess Fillo overhangs evenly against the edges of the tray. Take the overhanging Fillo and roll it into the outer edge of the pie. Brush with butter.
Using a sharp knife, cut the top layers of Fillo Pastry into squares. Scatter the top of the pita with sesame seeds.
Bake for 60 minutes or until golden and crispy all over. The centre will have also risen slightly. Remove from the oven and drizzle generously with honey. Allow the pita to sit in the tray for 20 minutes before serving.
Enjoy as is or serve with extra honey.
Recipe by Yiayia Maria, photography by Effi Tsoukatos & videography by Stationary Movement Film.
Yiayia Maria & grand daughter, Mary (Mary’s Kouzina).