Kolokotes - Traditional savoury Cypriot pies with pumpkin, raisins and bulgur

A delicious recipe to enjoy the pumpkin in the way the Cypriots do! I know that there are more than one version of the recipe (savoury or sweet) with some differences between them. This one here is one of my favourites and I really love the texture and the taste of the pastry. Kolokotes is the kind of snack that I find very filling and hearty

Recipe of Christofors Peskias

a prominent Head Cook from Cyprus

"Gastronomos" magazine of "KATHIMERINI" newspaper

Ingredients (for 15-16 pies)



For the dough:
500gr. of all-purpose flour
1 unwaxed orange, the zest
small pinch of salt
200 ml of olive oil
150 ml of fresh orange juice

For the filling:
1 tea-cup of chicken stock
1 tea-cup of bulgur
700 gr. of pumpkin flesh, coarsely grated and well drained
1/2 tea-cup of blond raisins, soaked in dark rum for 10 minutes
5 tbsp of fresh spearmint, finely chopped (or dill)
salt
pepper

Method:
Put in the bowl of a standing mixer the flour, the orange zest and the salt. Add the olive oil and work the ingredients until they become crumbly like wet sand.

Add 100-150ml of the orange juice and continue working the ingredients in the mixer (or with the hands) for another 2 minutes, until you end up with a medium to firm dough. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with cling film and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large, shallow baking tray with baking paper and lightly brush it with oil.

Put the stock in a saucepan to warm in medium heat and take off the heat just before it starts boiling. Put the bulgur in a large bowl and pour over with the warm stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave aside for 10 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and the bulgur quite fluffy.

Add in the bowl the pumpkin and the raisins (both well drained), the spearmint, salt, pepper and stir thoroughly with a spoon.

Dust a clean surface with some flour and using a rolling pin roll the dough into a large pastry sheet of 1/2cm thickness. Using a 12cm pastry cutter cut discs from the pastry.

Place on the edge of each disc 1 tsp of filling and fold creating halfmoon-shaped pies. Press the edges well with your fingers (or a fork) to seal the filling. Continue in the same way until all the ingredients are used up.

Transfer the Kolokotes on the baking tray and put in the oven.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they are nicely golden. Leave to rest for a few minutes before you serve.