Kolokithopita Triangles

The effort to recreate the kolokithopita my mother remembered so fondly from her childhood, last March left us with so much extra pumpkin. So much. Maybe that was why I misheard, or misunderstood my mother’s tip for using the leftovers to wrap some individual pites into triangles.

Back in my kitchen, I had wrapped and frozen somewhere near 50 or so pumpkin triangles to bring to my parents on my next visit. They were received with a bit of a chuckle, “no, I meant use the left over phyllo for spanakopita or tiropita triangles,” my mother clarified. Maybe it was my determination to prevent the great pumpkin from going to waste, that had me so focused on…pumpkin, rather than one of my mother’s go-to recipes.  

The individual triangle version resonated almost as much as the pan version did, though. So I decided to give them another try with the pumpkin left over from this year’s Thanksgiving pan kolokithopita (a new Thanksgiving tradition). I initially went with a 2:1 ratio of grated pumpkin to sugar-spiced chopped walnuts for the triangle filling. That ratio yielded a tasty pita, but the pumpkin got a little lost in the walnuts and phyllo.

Bumping the ratio up to 3:1, and upping the olive oil to better bind the filling, resulted in a more robust pumpkin flavored pita. Just the right amount of pumpkin to pop against the flaky phyllo and stand up to the walnuts and syrup. My new preference is the triangle version over the pan version for this filling. But what doesn’t taste better surrounded by golden flaky phyllo? These can be sweetened either by dunking in warm syrup, or by drizzling a little of the syrup over them. They also taste very good on their own without the syrup. 🙂

Kolokithopita:
1 pound thin phyllo dough (Apollo brand #4 pastry box has about 28 sheets that are ~11” W x 16 ½” L)
~6 cups grated pumpkin (from ~4 pound baking pumpkin)
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
¾ plus ½ cup olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Syrup (to modify: 1 cup sugar & 1 teaspoon lemon juice per 1 cup water):
3 cups water
3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 lemon wheel
1 cinnamon stick

Equipment: Grater, cheesecloth or colander (optional), pastry brush, ruler, dish towel

Yield: About 56 individual triangles

Advance Prep/Notes:

• Thaw phyllo in refrigerator overnight, or 4-6 hours before use.
• Pumpkin can be grated 1-2 days in advance (cover and refrigerate until use).
• If pumpkin is watery, drain thoroughly by squeezing in cheesecloth, or in a colander. 
• Wrapped, uncooked kolokithopita triangles can be frozen to cook and enjoy at a later date. Place in an airtight container with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.
• Syrup: Total amount made can be adjusted, depending on:
  • Number of triangles to be sweetened at a time
  • Preference for dunking kolokithopites in syrup to soak, or drizzling syrup over kolokithopites to lightly sweeten them.
  • Use 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice for every cup water, and 1 lemon slice and cinnamon stick for each batch.
• Syrup can be held at room temp for 2-3 days (remove lemon slice to prevent souring) and reheated as necessary to sweeten in batches, or on demand.
• Remaining syrup can be refrigerated for 3-4 weeks and used as a simple syrup for cocktails, or to moisten cakes.

Prepare Kolokithopita Filling

• Mix sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts together.
• Add sugar-spiced walnuts to grated pumpkin, mix well. 
• Add ¾ cup olive oil to pumpkin walnut filling, mix well.

Heat oven to 350°F

Wrap kolokithopita triangles (for step by step directions on folding phyllo triangle see my working with phyllo post.

• Remove phyllo from box and outer plastic bag (keep inner plastic sheet intact with the roll).  Measure length, score and cut roll into even sections of approximately 3 inches each. 
• Unroll one section at a time, just before use. Keep rolled sections under a damp dishtowel until ready to use. If phyllo sheets seem dry, place unrolled phyllo under dishtowel as well—removing one sheet at a time.
• Place one strip of phyllo on a flat surface and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Place a second sheet of phyllo on top of oiled phyllo sheet.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of filling at one of the short edges of phyllo strip.
• Lift one corner of the short edge with filling and fold over to the opposite side of the long edge, beginning to form your triangle.
• Flip pointed corner up, to create a new short edge. Then flip corner over to opposite long edge, making sure any loose filling or phyllo are securely tucked in under fold.
• Repeat until you near the end of the phyllo strip.
• Lightly oil the edges of the phyllo strip and wrap it around the triangle, sealing your triangular packet.
• Set completed pita aside on a dish or tray, using wax paper in between layers, if necessary.
• Continue wrapping individual triangles until you run out of filling and/or phyllo strips.
• Place kolokithopites on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown, approximately 50-60 minutes (turning sheet pan about half way through cook time).
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet.

Prepare syrup and sweeten kolokithopita triangles

• In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon slice and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and allow syrup to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Sweeten kolokithopitas by either submerging in warm syrup (10-20 seconds is enough to soak the phyllo, or up to 60 seconds if a sweeter, more soaked kolokithopita is desired), or drizzling 1-2 teaspoons over each triangle.