FLAOUNES

YIELD: 24 TO 30 COOKIES

These are the traditional Easter cookies of Cyprus.

       ¾ cup corn oil

       2 eggs

       4 teaspoons sugar

       3 pieces masticha flavoring (optional; see glossary in Appendix) or ½ teaspoon aniseed

       ¼ cup milk, warmed

       2½ cups all-purpose flour

       1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

       ¼ teaspoon salt

FILLING

       2 cups ricotta cheese or soft fresh mizithra

       1 cup grated kefalotiri (or romano) and kasseri cheese, mixed

       2 eggs

       2 tablespoons uncooked semolina or farina

       2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

       sesame seeds for topping

In a mixing bowl, beat corn oil with 1 egg until thick. Add 3 teaspoons sugar and beat. Pound masticha or aniseed with remaining teaspoon of sugar and add to batter. Add warm milk. Blend well. In another bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt. Gradually add to batter, mixing by hand when dough becomes thick. Knead for 6 to 10 minutes, or until elastic and smooth. Cover and let rest for a few hours before rolling.

In the meantime, prepare filling

Combine ricotta or mizithra, grated cheeses, eggs, semolina or farina, and mint. The filling should be thick and flavorful.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Break off sections of dough and roll out as thin as possible. Using a round plate or pastry cutter, cut out 6-inch circles. Fill center of each with 2 heaping tablespoons of filling. Fold up sides of circle to form squares or triangles, or some of each, leaving cheese filling exposed in center. Put on greased cookie sheets. Beat remaining egg and use to brush dough edges. Sprinkle the Flaounes with sesame seeds and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until dough is crisp and a golden chestnut color and filling is firm. Serve warm.

Variation: 1 teaspoon cinnamon can be substituted for mint, and ½ cup raisins can be added along with cheese. Cottage or farmer cheese can be used instead of ricotta if you are counting calories. Also, instead of making the dough from scratch, you might want to use refrigerated butterflake dinner rolls. Separate and flatten the pieces and proceed as described above.