Chef Dimitra
Agrafa Batzina (Μπατζίνα), Courgette and Feta Pie
Agrafa's batzina is the no-phyllo pie of Karditsa: grated courgette, feta, eggs, milk, and flour poured thin into a hot oiled tapsi.
Culinary Explorer
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Amygdalota Hydras kai Androu (Αμυγδαλωτά Ύδρας και Άνδρου)
Created by
Hydra and Andros give amygdalota their island surname: ground almond, sugar, egg white, and rosewater, baked pale so the center stays soft as marzipan.
Pastries & Cookies
Greek
Celebration
Special Occasion
Make Ahead
35 min
Active Time
18 min cook•1 hr 23 min total
Yield28 amygdalota
Amygdalota from Hydra and Andros are island almond sweets, not ordinary biscuits. They are flourless, pale, rosewater-scented, and tender in the middle, the kind of sweet that appears at weddings, baptisms, and name-day tables because almonds mean abundance and keeping.
The method that decides them is the grind. The almonds must be fine enough to bind with the egg whites and sugar, but not beaten into paste. Stop while they still look like damp sand. Go too far and the oil comes out, the dough grows heavy, and the cookies bake greasy instead of chewy.
Bake them only until the bottoms are faintly gold and the tops have set. They should not brown like a butter cookie. While they are still a little warm, touch them with rosewater and bury them in icing sugar. Your grandmother cooked by eye because she'd made them a thousand times. Here are the numbers until you have.
Amygdalota belong especially to the almond-growing islands of the Aegean and Saronic Gulf, with Hydra and Andros among the best-known versions. Their flourless form made them useful for celebration tables because they kept well in a humid sea climate and could be made ahead for weddings, baptisms, and feast days. The rosewater finish reflects the older Ottoman and island sweet-making register that passed through Greek ports long before packaged pastry shops standardized the recipe.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
blanched almonds
Quantity
300g
very finely ground
caster sugar
Quantity
180g
large egg whites
Quantity
2, about 70g
lemon zest
Quantity
1 teaspoon
finely grated
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
rosewater (rodonero)
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons
for dough and finishing
almond extract (optional)
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
icing sugar
Quantity
120g
for coating
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| blanched almondsvery finely ground | 300g |
| caster sugar | 180g |
| large egg whites | 2, about 70g |
| lemon zestfinely grated | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| rosewater (rodonero)for dough and finishing | 1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons |
| almond extract (optional) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| icing sugarfor coating | 120g |
Equipment Needed
- •food processor
- •rimmed baking sheet, 30 by 40cm
- •pastry brush
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the Almonds
Heat the oven to 160C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. If grinding whole blanched almonds, pulse them with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until they look like fine damp sand, stopping before they clump or shine. That shine means the almond oil is coming out, and then the dough turns heavy.
- 2
Mix the Dough
Put the ground almonds, remaining caster sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the egg whites, 1 teaspoon rosewater, and almond extract if using. The dough should be soft, sticky, and able to hold a shape. If it feels loose, rest it for 10 minutes so the almond meal drinks in the moisture.
- 3
Shape the Cookies
Dampen your hands lightly with water. Take walnut-sized pieces, about 22g each, and shape them into small pears, ovals, or short crescents, the Hydra and Andros shapes you still see in island pastry shops. Set them 3cm apart on the lined tray.
- 4
Bake Pale
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are dry and set and the bottoms are only faintly golden. Do not chase deep color here. Amygdalota should stay pale, with a chewy almond center.
- 5
Scent and Sugar
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 8 minutes. Brush or flick them lightly with the remaining rosewater while they are still a little warm, then roll them generously in icing sugar. Let them cool fully, then dust once more so they look snowy and soft.
- 6
Rest Before Serving
Leave the amygdalota uncovered for 1 hour, then store them in a tin or airtight box. They are good the first day and better the next, when the almond, sugar, and rosewater have settled into each other.
Chef Tips
- •Use fresh almonds. If they smell flat or dusty, the cookie will taste flat too. Liga kai kala: a few things, and good ones.
- •Rosewater should smell like roses, not perfume. Add it lightly. You can always brush on a little more, but you can't take it out once the dough tastes like soap.
- •Amygdalota keep well for 2 to 3 weeks in a covered tin, which is why island families made them before a celebration instead of on the morning itself.
Advance Preparation
- •The dough can be mixed 1 day ahead, covered, and chilled. Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before shaping.
- •The baked amygdalota can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in a tin, with a fresh dusting of icing sugar before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 23g)
Calories
110 calories
Total Fat
6 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
5 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
30 mg
Total Carbohydrates
13 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
11 g
Protein
3 g
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