Name: Samousades (Sesame & Nut Rolls)
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4 sheets of country style (#10) phyllo, thawed and at room temp.; 8 oz (about 250g) butter, melted; 1 and 1/2 cup (360ml) water; 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; orange rind; juice of an orange; 1/2 cup honey; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups (200g) walnuts, finely ground; 1 cup (100g) almonds, finely ground; 2 oz (50g) sesame seeds; 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; zest of an orange

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Delicious baklava rolls with sesame seeds!

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Samousades are delicious baklava rolls that have sesame seeds in the filling. It’s traditionally made with thick and rustic homemade phyllo dough, but I used store-bought country phyllo to keep it simple. I first heard of Samousades when hanging out with the Ladies of Penelope in New Jersey. I had such a good time chatting with them, and they told me about these. After looking it up and some recipe testing, sure enough, they were delicious enough to share with you!

The Ladies of Penelope were right!

Crispy phyllo
Warm spiced seed and nut filling
Sticky sweet syrup
A fun, easy, and delicious twist on Baklava that everyone will love!

A twist on Baklava

Country style (#10) phyllo, thawed and at room temp
Butter, melted

The Syrup:

Water
Granulated sugar -white or pure cane works best
Cinnamon stick
Orange rind -peel before juicing to make things easier
Juice of an orange
Honey -Greek honey is the best, but your local honey should be a close second
Pure vanilla extract -good quality for the best flavor

The Filling:

Walnuts, finely ground
Almonds, finely ground
Sesame seeds
Ground cinnamon
Ground cloves
Zest of an orange

Phyllo options

I kept this recipe simple by using store-bought #10 country phyllo dough. It’s thicker than standard phyllo dough and, by using two sheets, creates a thick phyllo crust similar to homemade phyllo. If you don’t have country phyllo or can’t find it in your grocery store, #4 phyllo will be fine. You’ll need to use 4-5 sheets of phyllo for each roll, drizzling butter between each layer. Since #4 phyllo is thinner, your rolls may be a little more delicate. So, keep this in mind when cutting and transferring them to your baking dish.

How to make Samousades –Sesame and Nut Rolls

Make the Syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients except for the honey and vanilla extract.
Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
Then, stir in the honey and vanilla extract and set it aside to cool completely.

Make the Nut Filing:

Place the sesame seeds in a pan and toast over medium heat for 6-7 minutes.
Add all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and mix.

Assemble the Pastries:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface and drizzle with butter. Place another sheet on top and drizzle with butter.
Then, spread half of the nut filling on top and roll the phyllo up tightly into a log, drizzling butter on the phyllo as you roll it up.
Repeat this step with the remaining phyllo and nut mixture.
Cut the rolls into diagonals and carefully transfer them into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Brush the tops with butter and bake on the center rack until golden –about 50-60 minutes.
Pour the syrup over the pastry and set aside to cool completely.

Serving

I always make sure the phyllo is nice and golden brown before I pull it out of the oven so I know it’s crispy. Then, when I pour the cool syrup on it, the phyllo absorbs it but stays crispy at the same time. It’s a delicious trick. I even leave my samousades in the syrup as long as possible to soak up the maximum amount of sweet syrup. Make some Greek coffee and serve as an afternoon treat or dinner dessert. Your family and friends will be just as excited to learn about this dessert as I was. Kali Orexi!

More Delicious Phyllo Pastries:

Samousades (Sesame & Nut Rolls)

Yield: Makes about 16 pieces