Chef Dimitra
Greek Macedonian Myrmigkato (Μυρμηγκάτο Μακεδονίας)
Myrmigkato from Greek Macedonia is the home cook's ant cake: a lemon-syrup sponge scattered with dark chocolate, plain on purpose and generous enough for coffee or a crowded table.
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Melopita Sifnou (Μελόπιτα Σίφνου)
Created by
Sifnos gives Easter its own cheesecake: fresh mizithra, thyme honey, eggs, and cinnamon baked without a crust until the center trembles and the top freckles gold.
Desserts
Greek
Easter
Celebration
Special Occasion
20 min
Active Time
40 min cook•3 hr total
Yield8 servings
Melopita Sifnou is Sifnos's Easter cheesecake, a crustless honey pie of fresh mizithra, eggs, thyme honey, and cinnamon. It is pale, quiet, and barely set, not a tall city cheesecake and not a pastry shell. The region is the dish's surname: Sifnos gives it the spring cheese and the honey that make it itself.
The whole dish depends on the mizithra and the bake. Use fresh, unsalted mizithra, the kind that still smells of milk, and pull the pan when the center trembles as you nudge it. Old or salted cheese turns sharp and gritty; ten extra minutes in the oven tightens what should stay creamy. Λίγα και καλά (liga kai kala): a few things, and good ones.
I write it this way because a dish this spare leaves no place to hide. Beat the cheese smooth, fold in the eggs and honey, and trust the cooling time. By the time you dust it with cinnamon and cut the first wedge, you'll understand why Sifnos keeps this one for Easter and celebration.
Melopita belongs to Sifnos in the Cyclades, where Easter comes after a long Lenten fast and fresh spring mizithra is sweetened with local thyme honey. The island is better known outside Greece for its clay pots and slow oven cooking, but this sweet is domestic, made in a low pan and served in small wedges after the feast. Its name is plain Greek, meli for honey and pita for pie, though the Sifnian version is often baked without a crust.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh unsalted mizithra (μυζήθρα)
Quantity
600g
drained if wet and brought to room temperature
Greek thyme honey
Quantity
180g + 25g
25g held back for finishing
large eggs
Quantity
3
room temperature
all-purpose flour
Quantity
20g
ground cinnamon
Quantity
3g
2g in the filling, 1g for finishing
unsalted butter
Quantity
10g
softened, for the pan
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh unsalted mizithra (μυζήθρα)drained if wet and brought to room temperature | 600g |
| Greek thyme honey25g held back for finishing | 180g + 25g |
| large eggsroom temperature | 3 |
| all-purpose flour | 20g |
| ground cinnamon2g in the filling, 1g for finishing | 3g |
| unsalted buttersoftened, for the pan | 10g |
Equipment Needed
- •shallow round metal tapsi or cake pan, 24cm
- •fine sieve or food mill
- •parchment circle, 24cm
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the pan
Heat the oven to 170C, or 160C with fan. Butter a 24cm shallow round tapsi or cake pan, then line the base with a parchment circle and butter the parchment. Keep the sides uncoated with flour; this pie wants a clean, soft edge, not a crust pretending to be one.
- 2
Smooth the mizithra
Put the mizithra in a fine sieve for 30 minutes if it looks wet, then press it through the sieve into a bowl, or beat it on low speed until smooth. It should look thick and creamy with a few tiny curds, not dry or crumbly. Taste it before you go on; if it is salty or sour-sharp, it is the wrong cheese for this dish.
- 3
Mix the filling
If the honey is stiff, set the jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes so it flows. Whisk the eggs in a second bowl until loosened, then whisk in 180g honey, 2g cinnamon, and the flour until no dry pockets remain. Fold this into the mizithra with a spatula. Don't whip it full of air; melopita should set close and tender.
- 4
Bake to wobble
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and level it gently. Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 42 minutes, until the edges are set, the top is lightly freckled, and the center moves as one soft piece when you nudge the pan. This is the moment that decides the pie: carryover heat will finish the set, while baking until the center is firm gives you grains instead of cream.
The center should wobble, not slosh. If a wet line opens when you shake it, give it five more minutes. - 5
Cool and finish
Cool the melopita in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours for clean slices. Run a thin knife around the edge, lift it out if you used parchment, and dust with the remaining cinnamon. Drizzle the 25g honey over the top just before serving, cool or at room temperature.
Chef Tips
- •Fresh unsalted mizithra is the dish. If you cannot get it, use unsalted anthotyro or very mild fresh ricotta drained overnight, but name it as a substitute. Salty mizithra, feta, and cream cheese take you away from Sifnos.
- •Use a honey with a clean herbal sweetness, preferably Greek thyme honey. A dark, heavy honey bullies the fresh cheese, and this pie is quiet by nature.
- •Melopita keeps well for 2 days in the refrigerator. Bring it out 20 minutes before serving so the honey softens and the cheese tastes of milk again.
- •Serve it after the Easter table with Greek coffee, or as a small celebration sweet. It is rich, so cut modest wedges. The old kitchens understood restraint.
Advance Preparation
- •If the mizithra is wet, drain it in a sieve for 30 minutes to 2 hours before mixing.
- •The melopita can be baked 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Dust with cinnamon and drizzle with honey just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 115g)
Calories
255 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
8 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
5 g
Cholesterol
110 mg
Sodium
105 mg
Total Carbohydrates
26 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
23 g
Protein
11 g
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