2. Add lightly beaten egg yolks and melted butter.

3. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in flour and baking powder. Stirring continuously, add egg white and flour mix to yoghurt and sugar.

4. Turn mixture into a large, shallow, lightly buttered baking dish. (Batter should not be more than one-inch thick).

5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Then turn off heat from top and bake, from bottom only, for 30 minutes more.

6. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Prepare syrup and pour hot over ravani cake.

Nut crescents (Skaltsounia me ksirous karpous)

Ingredients
Yields about 30 pieces

For the dough

3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Water
about 700-800gr flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the filling

2 cups coarsely ground walnuts
2 cups coarsely ground almonds
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4-5 cloves, crushed
1 tbs grated orange peel
3 tbs honey

Preparation

1. In large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all filling ingredients.

2. In separate bowl, combine olive oil, eggs, salt, and water; gradually stir in enough flour to create a soft dough. Let rest for about 20 minutes.

3. Roll out dough and cut into small circles, about 9-10cm in diameter. Place a spoonful of filling in circle, then fold dough over filling to create a half-moon shape. Press dough together around edges to seal.

4. Lightly oil two baking sheets. Transfer crescents to cookie sheets and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50-60 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15-20 minutes. Dredge with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon.

Almond baklava (Baklavas me amigdala)

Ingredients
Yields 10 servings

1 packet filo
2 cups almonds and walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 piece mastic, crushed with a little sugar
10-15 whole cloves
1 cup butter

For the syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation

1. In mixing bowl, combine sugar with nuts, ground cinnamon, and mastic.

2. Lightly oil bottom and sides of shallow baking pan. Layer bottom with 5 or 6 sheets of filo, brushing with butter between each sheet. Let ends hang over edge of pan.

3. Spread nut filling evenly over filo. Layer remaining filo over top, always brushing with butter between each sheet. Trim excess filo and turn ends into pan. Drizzle a little butter over top. With tip of sharp knife, mark baklava into diamond-shape pieces, taking care not to pierce down to the filling. Push a clove into centre of each diamond.

4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50-55 minutes, or until filo is golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare syrup and let cool. When baklava is done, remove from oven, drizzle a little butter over top, then immediately pour cold syrup over pan. Let baklava stand for awhile to soak up syrup before cutting and serving.

(Recipes compiled by Cordelia Madden)

Buy this book at 30% off!

This week's recipes are taken from Greek Cuisine, An Easy Guide for All, by Myrsini Lambraki and published by Ellinika Grammata. You can now purchase this book for 6.72 euros, down from its usual price of 9.60 euros. This 30 percent discount is offered exclusively through the Athens News.