Flaounes, Cypriot Easter cheese pies.

Directions

1. Filling: Two days before, we grate the cheeses and place it in the refrigerator covered with a towel. Stir it twice a day. Prepare the cheese filling the evening before. (if you are going to make it with fresh yeast, if it is with dried yeast, a few hours before.) The instructions here are for fresh yeast. Add the semolina, mahlepi, and mastic to the cheese and mix well.
2. Then make a well in the bowl with the cheese, and pour the beaten eggs and the yeast. Rub them together with your fingers until the yeast is almost dissolved, and then mix it throughout the cheese. The filling should be slightly thick.
3. Cover it with a cloth and place it in a warm place for about 10 hours. The next day add the baking powder, mint, and raisins. (Optional) Another egg if necessary and mix.
4. Dough: If using yeast, prepare it 2 hours before you start. First, we sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt, baking powder, mahlepi, mastic, and mix all ingredients well. Add the oil to the flour and rub with your fingers. This can be done with a mixer. (in this case use the hook attachment)
5. Next dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and add it to the dough, continue kneading, then add the yogurt and gradually pour the orange juice. When everything is combined and we have a mass, place it on a counter and continue kneading with your hands for a few more minutes. Put it in a bowl and cover with a towel, and keep it in a warm place until the dough rises, approximately 1-2 hours.
6. Boil the sesame seeds in water for 4 minutes, rinse and drain. When you are ready to start making the pies, begin by spreading the sesame seeds on a clean towel. Shape the dough into thin, 20-centimeter diameter pies. (You can use a pot lid as a mould) Place the outer side of the pie on the sesame seeds, and press lightly.
7. Shape the cheese filling into balls of about 150 grams each, place them on the dough, and fold in the four sides to enclose it by pressing the corners with a fork. Brush them with a beaten egg and sesame seeds and bake in a preheated oven for about 48 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.