Kariokes are the most characteristic example of how inventiveness “creates” small taste miracles.
Kariokes have a history of almost 100 years.
They arose from the need to make use of ingredients in pastry shops that were no longer very fresh, such as biscuits and nuts.
They crushed the biscuits that were no longer intended for sale, enriched them with walnuts, liqueur, and sugar, and coated them with everyone’s favorite chocolate.
That was the first version of karioka, obviously a very successful one.
Since then, kariokes have been made by many pastry shops, and indeed with the best ingredients.
The most famous karioka craftsman is Papaparaskevas from Xanthi, who describes himself as its “father.”
I have tasted excellent kariokes from Maron in Petroupoli and from Christakis in Arta.
In fact, the latter, from Arta, gave me the idea of using citrus spoon sweet in the filling instead of orange zest.
In my search for a karioka recipe, I very often came across the syrup version in which rusks or biscuits are added to make the filling mixture. That was something I wanted to avoid. Too much sugar for no reason!
I preferred to use whole wheat petit beurre biscuits, which I consider tastier than the plain ones, good-quality walnuts, and of course spoon sweets made from bitter orange and bergamot, which I had on hand.
The result was truly very good.
“Better than pastry shop ones” was the most frequent compliment my kariokes received.
Ingredients for 18–20 pieces
For the coating
- 350 g couverture chocolate 54%
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
For the filling
- 150 g petit beurre biscuits (I used whole wheat)
- 150 g walnut kernels
- 50 g melted butter
- 1 tbsp orange jam or another citrus preserve (I used bitter orange spoon sweet); you can also use orange zest
- 50 g couverture chocolate 54%
- 1 tbsp honey (flower honey is preferable)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 25 ml cognac or liqueur
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Instructions
In a blender, add about half of the walnuts and all of the biscuits.
Add the jam or orange zest, the melted butter, the 50 g of melted couverture chocolate, the cinnamon and cloves, the honey, and the liqueur.
Blend very well until you have a mixture like thick chocolate spread.
If the blender you use is not large and powerful, it is better to first crush the walnuts and biscuits and then add all the remaining ingredients.
Coarsely chop the walnuts you kept aside with a knife. Pour them into a bowl.
Pour the blender mixture into the same bowl.
Mix well.
The mixture resembles a very firm dough.
Spread a large piece of baking paper on your work surface.
Place the mixture on top.
Shape it into an elongated log, like a salami. Wrap it with the baking paper and twist the ends closed like a large candy.
Place the karioka mixture in the freezer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Melt the couverture chocolate together with the oil in a bain-marie or in the microwave.
Take the log out of the freezer and, with a sharp knife, cut it into slices about 1.5 cm thick.
Using two forks, dip the slices one by one into the melted chocolate and place them on baking paper.
Let them cool completely.
Store them in a glass bowl in the refrigerator.
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