Hi! I’m Voula, and welcome to Pastry Wishes!
I’m a self-taught baker, recipe developer and aspiring food photographer. I'm also a full-time editor and teacher with a passion for baking. I believe making desserts from scratch doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated.
I truly believe that anyone can learn to make delicious desserts with the right instructions and guidance!
Baking has always been a creative outlet for me. I was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but I now live in Athens, Greece. My Greek heritage plays a big role on how I cook and bake. Growing up in a Greek family, life almost always revolved around food – LOTS AND LOTS of food. Each gathering around the table involved discussions on a variety of topics, from my grandparents’ war woes and hardships in Greece, to different recipes shared in the family. Everyone in the family had their signature style on the same dish.
I developed my love for baking as a teenager. I soon began collecting cookbooks and this inspired me to create my own recipes and write down everything that went wrong in the process. Over time, I began to discover my own baking style & implement tips that worked for me. I love making classic American/International desserts as well as traditional Greek ones, sometimes creating a twist on both!
I often get asked how I make Vegan Chocolate Truffles with only 3 ingredients or how I make Baklava Rolls (Saragli) without any refined sugar! Occasionally, I’ll be in the mood for something sweet, but totally healthy, like Ancient Greek Sesame Bars (Pasteli) or Easy Apple Chips!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Pastry Wishes is for home bakers of all levels, from novice to expert. It’s a place where foodies and pastry lovers can share their love and passion for desserts and maybe create some new ones along the way. You will find that the recipes on the website are mainly seasonal and easy to make. I’m also an Orthodox Christian, so you may notice quite a few vegan recipes, too, since I follow a vegan diet during Lent and other periods of fasting. All of the recipes are tried, trusted and approved by family and friends.
USE OF MY PHOTOS & RECIPES
Recipes & Articles
All the recipes and articles are developed and written by me. If you are a fellow blogger and would like to use one of my recipes, always provide a clear link back to my original post here on Pastry Wishes.
Photos
All the photos on this website are taken by me and copyrighted. Please do not copy or use my photos without prior permission to do so.
If you would like to publish any of my recipes or photos, please contact me first.
I really hope you enjoy this blog. My main ambition is to inspire home bakers to have FUN in the kitchen and bake with confidence.
Feel free to comment on my blog posts or email me if you have any questions or just want to say hello! I would love to hear from you!
Thank you!
Yayapap
I'm anxious to try your portokalopita.
We had some in Tripoli, for the first time.
I tried one recipe but didn't like it.
Hope yours is more like the one in Tripoli.
You have a lovely website.
Angela
Voula
Hello, Angela! Thank you for your kind words! I hope you like the portokalopita! Let me know how it turns out! 😊
Laura Allen
My son and I will be coming to a Greece in May. We will be visiting Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. Any suggestions for things to see or places to eat?
Voula
Hi, Laura! There are so many beautiful places to visit! In Athens, I highly recommend visiting the Acropolis Museum! It's amazing and it also has a really nice café and restaurant with a gorgeous view of the Acropolis! Also make sure to visit Delos island which is just a few miles away from Mykonos. No one lives on the island, but it's a UNESCO world heritage site with tons of history! Santorini is probably one of the most beautiful islands I've ever seen! Visit Red Beach, one of the most stunning beaches on Santorini! And definitely visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera (Thera is the ancient Greek name for Santorini)! Hope you have a great time!
Kirk Economos
Hi Voula,
I am perfecting my Kolourakia- so far not perfect.
Many traditional recipes use Baker's Ammonia. Have you tried this and if so it is worth the effort- my first batch with BA came out smelling a bit like ammonia?
I am concerned that I will have to dry out the cookies too much in the oven to off-gas the ammonia smell.
Voula
Hi, Kirk! I never ever use baker's ammonia in my koulourakia (or for anything else), because I can't stand the smell! I came across this interesting article by Cook's Illustrated, that says in Victorian times, baker's ammonia was used to revive women who fainted! 😂 That's how nasty is smells! My grandmother's generation used to use it because nothing else (e.g., baking soda, baking powder) was available at that time, that's why some "traditional" recipes include it. My koulourakia recipe has been in my family for over 50 years and they taste great without baker's ammonia!