Skaltsounia with orange flavor

Skaltsounia with orange flavor

Skaltsounia, these traditional mini pies filled with a sweet mixture of jam and nuts and sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon, are enjoyed all year round, but are very common during Lent. I used my own favorite orange marmalade for the filling to match the fragrant pastry and make this lovely citrus the star of the show. Whether we're fasting or just craving a simple and delicious dessert, skaltsounia will always delight us with the charm of Greek tradition, the delicious dough and the aromatic filling...

DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Easy
BAKING TIME
25 - 30 min
QUANTITY
24 skaltsounia

Ingredients

  • 150 g sugar
  • 150 g seed oil
  • 150 g orange juice
  • 1 tsp soda
  • 2 tbsp orange zest
  • 2 vials or 2 sachets of vanillin
  • 15 g baking powder
  • 500 - 520 g all - purpose flour, sifted

For the filling:

  • 140 g almonds and walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp clove powder
  • 280 - 300 g jam or marmalade of your choice (I chose orange marmalade because I wanted the orange flavor to be the star)

  • Orange blossom water
  • Powdered sugar and cinnamon powder for sprinkling


How to

  1. In a bowl, combine the almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and jam.
  2. In a mixer's bowl, add the sugar and seed oil and beat until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Stir the soda into the orange juice (be careful, it foams!) and add to the mixer bowl.
  4. Continue with the orange zest and vanillin.
  5. Mix the baking powder into the flour, add them to the mixture and knead with the dough hook until the ingredients are combined and you have a soft dough.
  6. Roll out the dough into a sheet, cut into a circular shape with a round cookie cutter or a glass, add the filling to the center and close by pressing the joint.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven (set to fan) at 355° F - 180° C for about 25 - 30 min (depending on the intensity of the oven).
  8. As soon as you remove the skaltsounia from the oven, spray them with orange blossom water.
  9. Allow to cool and either sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon or cover the whole skaltsounia by dipping them in a bowl of icing sugar and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Note from Greek jar:

I used a round cookie cutter about 8 cm. The number of skaltsounia you get, will depend on their size.

You can also use a hand whisk to make the dough if you want to avoid using a mixer.

You can add the jam and nuts of your preference.