Portokalopita fuses oranges and spices marry in this distinct dessert.
Portokalopita is a mouth-watering Greek dessert that is sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. It’s a confection that is steeped in tradition, and its unique blend of citrus and spices is just one of the reasons my Los Angeles personal chef clients, husband, and friends relentlessly request it (HA!).
What is portokalopita?
The name “portokalopita” is derived from the Greek word “portokali,” which means orange. This dessert is made from dried up phyllo dough that you fold into a creamy, orange-flavored custard. In the final step, you drizzle the pastry with a sweet syrup that is infused with orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves. This is similar to one you would use for baklava. The result is a dessert that is perfectly balanced – not too sweet, but with just the right amount of citrusy tang. In fact, portokalopita is often served at traditional Greek celebrations, such as weddings and baptisms. Like most desserts, I also love eating it for breakfast.
Icing on the pastry
One of the best aspects about making portokalopita is that you want your phyllo dough to be dried out. Usually, one of the biggest challenges with working with phyllo (for a spanakopita or other phyllo pie) is that it dries out and breaks. For this decadent dessert, that’s exactly what you want. I like to use scraps from my other phyllo pies that I freeze/save after I trim them. All I do is defrost and let them dry out by laying them on a sheet pan. If you haven’t prepped the phyllo this way in advance, you can also dry it out in the oven.
Prepping for portokalopita
If you’re interested in trying portokalopita, there are a few things that you should know. Firstly, it’s a dessert that requires just a bit of preparation, so it’s best to set aside some time to make your plan. However, each step is easy, so don’t stress. Secondly, please read over and follow this recipe carefully before you make it. You will want to time making the syrup in advance enough to cool it before it goes on the pastry. And like I mentioned above, you will need to allow time for the sheets of phyllo to dry out. Additionally, you also need to give the pastry time to let the syrup soak in fully. Finally, with a little bit of practice, making portokalopita can be a fun and rewarding experience. And, once you’ve mastered the recipe, you’ll be able to enjoy this delicious dessert all the time.
Portokalopita
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 8 ounces phyllo (so half of a box), dried out
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 orange, zest
- 7 oz Greek yogurt (full fat)
- 150 ml oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbs baking powder
- pinch salt
SYRUP
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 large orange, peel and juice
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
Serving
- Whipped Cream (optional)
- Ice cream (optional)
Instructions
- Make the syrup
- Combine ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. It should yield a little less than 2 cups syrup.
- For the pastry
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Line a 8-inch square (or equivalent) baking pan with parchment and baking spray.
- Dry phyllo by baking for 15-18 min. Cool to room temp.
- Beat sugar, orange zest. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, baking powder and salt on medium until combined.
- Add half phyllo to batter and fold until phyllo is evenly moist. Then add the rest of the phyllo. Pour batter into prepared pan. Even out.
- Bake 45-50 min, until golden brown.
- Set cake on wire rack. Poke holes with toothpick. Pour on half the syrup. Let stand 5 min to soak in. Pour on remaining syrup. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.
- Serve topped with ice cream or whipped cream, both are optional but delicious.