Kariokes: Embrace Greek Tradition with Walnut-Filled Crescents

 Kariokes are small-sized chocolate treats that are filled with walnuts. Greeks love to offer these mouthwatering shaped-like crescents chocolates to their guests during major celebrations. 

The origin of kariokes comes from North Greece. It was Mr. Georgios Papaparaskevas from the city of Xanthi that first made this dessert in 1930. As you can imagine, there are many variations to this recipe. To make kariokes recipe you need the following ingredients: Petit-Beurre cookies, walnuts, cocoa, sweetened condensed milk, cognac, cinnamon, vanilla extract, orange zest, butter, and chocolate couverture. 

There are many variations of this dessert as typically happens with the majority of Greek desserts. The alterations depend on the region in which the dessert is made. One thing I can tell you with certainty is that kariokes always consist of walnuts and cloves.

Making kariokes does not require any advanced cooking skills. Moreover, this is a no-bake recipe something that makes this recipe even easier. This recipe takes no more than 20 minutes. 

kariokes recipe

Kariokes – Ingredients

  • 400 g of Petit-Beurre cookies
  • 250 g of walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons full cocoa
  • Sweetened condensed milk, 1 can
  • 1 shot of cognac
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 vanilla extract
  • ½ of orange zest
  • 100 g butter
  • 450 grams of chocolate couverture

Kariakes – How to Make

  1. Start this kariokes recipe by adding the cookies into the mixer. Mix them and place them in a deep bowl.
  2. Repeat the same process for the walnuts until they are coarsely chopped. Add them to the bowl with the cookies.
  3. Add to the mixture the sugar, cocoa, brandy, cinnamon, orange zest, and vanilla.
  4. Mix well.
  5. Put the butter on low heat to soften (not melt completely) and then add it to our mixture.
  6. Mix all the ingredients together until you get a homogeneous mixture.
  7. We spread a large piece of film on our table or bench
  8. Place the mixture in the middle of the membrane and press from the right and left to form a roll.
  9. Wrap tightly and carefully in a roll and twist the edges of the film well, just like you wrap candy with paper.
  10. Place another piece of membrane film and wrap again as tightly as possible to give shape
  11. Put the kariokes roll in the refrigerator. Wait until it becomes more solid.
  12. When it is ready, with the help of a sharp knife cut it into slices.
  13. Melt the couverture in a Bain-Marie.
  14. Take a tray and cover it with greaseproof paper.
  15. Take the kariokes one by one, dip them in the couverture chocolate and place them on the tray.
  16. Put the tray in the fridge for a while and then wrap them halfway in aluminum foil.
Kariokes are usually wrapped and dessert is served on a big tray. If you like small-sized desserts you should try this skaltsounia recipe. Enjoy!