Serbian Nut Pita From My Grandmother

Pita means pie in Serbian, and I understand that the pastry part of these pies is generally a puff pastry dough or phyllo dough. The fillings could also be meat fillings, cheese or fruit. Pie can be interpreted as anything made with a crust, usually on the bottom, and sometimes also on top of a filling. Fillings may be sweet or savory. In my mind, Nut Pita is one of the recipes always associated with Christmas. It is not a very sweet dessert, but it is quite rich. My grandmothers Nut Pita is two layers of unsweetened pastry dough, with a ground walnut, egg and sugar filling.

In Grandmas Nut Pita, the filling was made with a dozen eggs, separated. The whites were whipped separately and folded into the yolks, sugar and ground nuts. The pastry she made was with yeast, though not puff pastry type dough. It was rolled to fit a 13 x 9 inch pan, the filling went in and this was topped with another layer of the pastry. After baking, it was always sliced into diamond shapes, brushed with vanilla and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. This is her recipe.

NUT PITA

Dough:
4 cups flour
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup unsalted butter, or 2 sticks
1 cup cream or evaporated milk

Filling:

12 large eggs, separated
4 cups ground walnuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup whiskey
Vanilla, for brushing
Powdered sugar for dusting

Prepare the dough. Mix the yeast into warm water to soften. Mix together and blend well (by hand or machine) all ingredients for dough and then divide dough into two parts. Roll out one part and line a 13 x 9 inch pan. Do not allow time for the dough to rise.

Make the filling by beating together all egg yolks and 2 of the whites with the sugar, whiskey and nuts. In a separate bowl, beat the rest of the egg whites and fold them into the yolk mixture. Pour into the dough-lined pan.

Roll out the second part of the dough and lay it atop the filling. Slash with a knife or prick with a fork and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. When done, sprinkle the top with vanilla, or use a pastry brush. Slice into diamond shapes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it was informative and helped you along your own culinary journey. You will find many more recipes and helpful tips on my web site. I am on Facebook at A Harmony of Flavors and share a recipe or tip each day to the fans that have liked my site. I hope to see you there soon.