Greek Politiko Dessert With Cream And Semolina

Politiko, also known as Byzantino, is a traditional Greek dessert that’s especially popular in northern Greece, particularly in the city of Thessaloniki. Its roots, however, trace back to Byzantium.

If you’ve tried ravani, you’re going to love Politiko. The base is a similar syrupy semolina cake, infused with aromatic spices like mastiha, mahleb, and cardamom. On top, there’s a velvety pastry cream, finished with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon.

It might sound and look complicated, but trust me, if you follow the steps, you’ll end up with a delicious dessert that’s sure to impress everyone.

Ingredients & How-to

To prepare the base for this Greek Politiko dessert we are going to need sugar, milk, coarse & fine semolina, baking soda, baking powder, mastiha, mahleb and cardamom.

• Semolina: I’m using a combination of coarse and fine semolina to get a lighter cake base. If you have only coarse semolina, you could use that but the texture will be lightly more crumbly.
• Rising agents: I’m using both baking powder and baking soda to get a fluffy base but lightly crisp outside.
• Spices: Mastiha and mahleb are the two must have for an authentic Politiko dessert. I like to add a little bit of ground cardamom for extra aroma.

For the pastry cream, we need milk, cornstarch, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla paste. To make the syrup, we just need water, sugar, half an orange and a cinnamon stick.

• Milk: I’m using whole milk but you could also use lower fat milk (2%).
• Cornstarch: This is essential to make the pastry cream and it’s used as a thickening agent to turn the milk and eggs into a cream.
• Butter: When the pastry cream is ready, I add about 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter to get a nice silky texture and prevent the cream from thickening even further.
• Vanilla: I recommend using a good-quality vanilla, such as vanilla paste with the little seeds in it, or a vanilla bean.

For full quantities check the recipe card down below.

1. Preparing the syrup and base

01. I start by preparing the syrup so it has enough time to cool. I place a pot over medium heat and add the water, sugar, and a cinnamon stick. I give it a stir, then squeeze in the juice of half an orange with my hand and place the orange half in the pot as well, cut side down. When the syrup starts to bubble, I let it simmer for 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.

02. Now that the syrup is ready, I move on to prepare the semolina base for this Greek Politiko dessert. I use a pestle and mortar to grind the mastiha tears and combine them with the mahleb and cardamom. You could also use a spice grinder if you have one.

03. In a bowl, I add the fine and coarse semolina, baking powder, baking soda and the mix of spices. I give it all a mix to combine with a whisk.

04. Finally, I add the milk and whisk to combine for a minute. The texture will be grainy and thick, not fluffy and airy like cake batter.

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05. I pour the batter into a 12×10 inch tray and place it in a preheated oven. It takes about 30-35 minutes for the semolina base to bake. We’re looking for a golden-brown color, with the edges slightly darker than the center and nicely crisp. You can also use a 13×9 inch stainless steel or Pyrex tray.

06. When the semolina cake base is ready, I take it out of the oven and, using a toothpick or skewer, poke some holes. I pour the syrup over it with a ladle and leave it to soak it all up and cool down, for about 30 minutes.

1. Preparing the pastry cream

01. To make the pastry cream, I’m using a big pot and a bowl. I place the milk in the pot and warm it up over medium heat. While the milk is warming up, I add the eggs and sugar to a bowl and start whisking to dissolve the sugar. Don’t let the sugar and eggs sit in the bowl umixed because the sugar will ‘cook’ the raw eggs.

02. Next, I add the vanilla and cornstarch and continue whisking. You will notice now that the mixture thickens and becomes very creamy.

03. By now, the milk is hot but not boiling. I add some to the egg mixture using a ladle, about 3-4 spoons. I continue whisking to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs.

04. Then I add the mixture to the pot with the remaining milk and keep on whisking until the cream thickens.

05. When the cream is ready, I remove the pot from the heat and add the cold butter. I mix it in with the whisk and the cream will have now a more silky texture. I add the cream on top of the semolina base and spread it around using a spatula.

06. For the final touch, I dust the top of the pastry cream with ground cinnamon. Traditionally the whole top is covered but you can add as much or less if you like. Now it’s the most difficult part, you have to let it rest for at least 2 hours in the fridge before cutting the first piece.

Tips

• After combining the cornstarch mixture with the heated milk, make sure you keep stirring to avoid any lumps forming or the cream sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• After adding the syrup to the semolina cake, leave it to cool down for at least half an hour before
• After you add the cream on top of the semolina cake, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting the first piece.

Serving suggestions

This traditional Greek Politiko dessert can be served after a meal or enjoyed in the afternoon with a cup of coffee. You can make it in advance, or even the day before, as it’s best served chilled, once the cream has fully set over the semolina base.

Storage

Since this is a refrigerated dessert, it should be chilled soon after assembling. The recipe yields about 12 pieces, which can be stored in the fridge for up to 4–5 days.

You can place the whole tray in the fridge, but I recommend cutting it into pieces after the first day and storing them in an airtight container to prevent the cream from drying out or forming a crust around the edges.

FAQ

Can I use only one type of semolina?

Can I leave out the spices?