It's almost time for the annual Greek Bake Sale, when baklava, spanakopita and other yummy specialties are shared from the kitchen of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. This year's sale will take place Friday, Nov. 11.
Several new items are on the menu, including:
› Chicken phyllo appetizers, which you'll buy frozen and uncooked, then take them home to cook yourself. They are made with shredded chicken breasts, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices inside crispy phyllo dough. Oh my!
› Beef phyllo appetizers, which are similar to the chicken appetizers, only with a seasoned beef mixture.
› Baklava chocolate cheesecake, which is made with a baklava crust and a cream cheese filling layered with chocolate and topped with baklava. Nothing more be said.
"Over the years, we have received multiple requests for savory items," says bake sale chairman Thea Ballas. "So we decided to add the chicken and beef appetizers because we had parishioners try them earlier in the year, and they were a huge hit."
Back again for this year's sale will be:
› Baklava: Layers of phyllo with nuts, spices and syrup.
› Kataifi: Shredded phyllo stuffed with a nut mixture and drizzled with syrup.
› Finikia: A spice cookie drenched in syrup and rolled in walnuts.
› Amygdalota: Crescent cookies with ground almonds, sugar and flavorings.
› Kourambiethes: Those wonderful Greek wedding cookies made from butter cookies and toasted almonds then covered with confectioners sugar.
› Koulourakia: Twisted butter cookies that go great with coffee.
› Almond paximadia: Twice-baked biscotti-like cookies with toasted almonds.
› Anisette paximadia: Twice-baked cookies with anisette flavoring.
› Spanakopita: Frozen, uncooked, phyllo with a spinach, feta cheese and egg mixture. They'll come in two sizes: appetizer and pockets.
› Tiropitas: Frozen, uncooked, feta cheese and egg mixture wrapped in phyllo. They'll also come in a choice of appetizers or pockets.
› Almond coffee cake: Made with almonds, butter and eggs.
› Galaktoboureko: A frozen, uncooked phyllo pie with custard, butter and syrup, made in 8- by 8-inch pans.
› Kok: A small sponge cake filled with your choice of vanilla or chocolate pastry cream, then covered with chocolate ganache.
› Baklava cheesecake: A crust of baklava with a cream cheese filling that's topped with baklava.
› Greek sweet bread: A braided loaf made with flour, milk, butter and sugar and seasoned with orange zest and mahlepi, a spice ground from the pits of Persian cherries.
Orders may now be placed online. Visit annunciationgreek.org and navigate to Bake Sale 2022. Once you click on that page, you will be directed to an order form. Orders may be picked up day of sale at the church across from Memorial Hospital at 722 Glenwood Drive. You can drive up to the hall and have your order brought to you.
The church hall will also be open for sales and will be serving hot food -- hot spanakopita and tiropita pockets and pieces of galaktoboureko -- so come hungry.
Be sure to plan ahead for the holidays. All items can either be frozen or wrapped and kept in your pantry until Christmas and beyond.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.