Melitinia are small open tartlets from Santorini: a thin, crisp pastry pinched into pleats around a soft filling of fresh mizithra cheese scented with mastic. They puff and turn golden in the oven and are finished with a dusting of cinnamon. Makes 30 tartlets in about 3 hr 15 min.
Prep45 min
Cook30 min
Cooling2 hr
Total
3 hr 15 min
Yield
30 tartlets
Ingredients
Adjust yield
tartlets
Scales from a half to a double batch. Laminated and yeasted doughs are easiest to handle one batch at a time; bake extra pans in rounds.
2 ⅓ cups (300 g)all-purpose flour, plus a little for rolling, for the dough
¼ tsp (2 g)fine salt
¼ cup (60 ml)sunflower oil
½ cup (130 ml)warm water, about 100°F (38°C)
1 lb (500 g)fresh mizithra cheese, or well-drained whole-milk ricotta
¾ cup (150 g)granulated sugar
⅛ tsp (0.5 g)mastic tears, ground to a powder with 1 tsp of the sugar
Mix the 300 g flour and salt in a bowl, add the sunflower oil and rub it in, then add the warm water gradually and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, firm, non-sticky dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the filling: mash the mizithra cheese until smooth, then beat in the sugar and the ground mastic tears, the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Stir in the 30 g flour and baking powder. Cover and refrigerate until needed, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Roll the dough out very thin, about 1/16 inch (2 mm), on a lightly floured surface. Cut 3 1/2-inch (9 cm) rounds, rerolling scraps, to get about 30.
Put a heaped tablespoon (about 25 g) of filling in the center of each round. Lift the edge of the dough up around the filling and pinch it at five or six points into pleats, making a little star-shaped cup with the filling showing in the middle. Set them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the sheets.
Bake both sheets together, swapping them halfway, until the filling has puffed and set and the pastry and the tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. The center should read at least 160°F (71°C).
Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes; the filling sinks slightly and firms. Dust with the ground cinnamon before serving.
Tips
Drain ricotta in a sieve for a few hours if using it; wet cheese makes a runny filling and soggy pastry.
The more pleats you pinch, the more traditional and the sturdier the cup.
The cheese and egg filling must bake until set and at least 160°F (71°C) in the center; refrigerate leftovers.
Good with greek coffee or Vinsanto dessert wine.
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How long does it take to make melitinia (santorini sweet cheese tartlets)?
Plan on 45 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to chill and rest. The recipe makes 30 tartlets.
How should I store melitinia (santorini sweet cheese tartlets)?
Refrigerate, covered, for up to 4 days; serve cold or at room temperature.
Can I make melitinia (santorini sweet cheese tartlets) ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Melitinia are Santorini's Easter sweet, made in Holy Week by pinching thin rounds of plain dough into pleated star-shaped cups around a filling of fresh mizithra, sugar, egg and mastic. Serve it with greek coffee or Vinsanto dessert wine.
Variations
Orange-zest variation: replace the mastic with 2 tsp (4 g) finely grated orange zest; bake time unchanged.
Bite-size pieces: cut 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) rounds, use 2 tsp (about 12 g) filling each for about 55 tartlets, and bake 18 to 22 minutes.
Butter pastry: replace the sunflower oil with 60 g (4 tbsp) melted butter for a richer crust.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 30 servings this recipe makes.
89Calories / serving
5.7gFat
6.0gCarbs
3.5gProtein
5.2gSugar
Whole recipe (30 servings):
~2670 cal ·
171g fat ·
180g carbs ·
105g protein ·
156g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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