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Liturgical Recipes: Athina's Famous Kolliva
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat berries: boil about an hour, then rinse in cold water & spread to dry on a tea towel
- 2 cups almonds (sliced or slivered, toasted, and chopped)
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 2/3 cup walnuts (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (toasted)
- 2/3 cup pistachios (shelled and chopped)
- ¼ cup sesame seeds (toasted)
- tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 pomegranates (seeded, being careful to avoid the white part)
Baking
Ingredients should be prepared the evening before the memorial service and grouped separately; in the morning (as close to church as possible) combine them. Form into a mound on a platter; using a paper towel, smooth and firm the surface of the mound. If desired, sprinkle ½ cup bread crumbs on the mound and re-form (this keeps the kolliva from getting soggy.) Sift 2 cups powdered sugar over the mound. Decorate with Jordan almonds in the shape of a cross.
Decorating Notes
It is traditional to form a Cross on the kolliva, and also to put a candle in it for the Memorial Service. If using small silver decor to make the Cross or other formal decoration, one may cut the desired shape out of adhesive tape (white), lay it, sticky side up, on a plate, and sprinkle the silver decor on the tape to cover the tape form. This may then be laid carefully over the powdered sugar. It should be removed before serving. Jordan almonds are also traditional.
Submitted by: Emily Lowe