You can enjoy kolokotes as snack, complemented with yogurt, labne, or fresh cheese; drizzled with honey, date or any fruit molasses they become a lovely dessert. 

Marilena Ioannides’ recipe is by far the best I have tried –and I did try lots over the years. She bakes the pies on camera –speaking Greek with no subtitles, unfortunately; but consulting my recipe below you can easily follow and understand how to make these simple, exquisite pies.

To collect the old, traditional dishes she included in her book Cyprus Food Treasures, Marilena traveled all over the island, even to the remotest villages, and managed to find some incredible dishes! Often they are the missing link between age-old foods we read about in old manuscripts and the more recent variations we still encounter in parts of Greece or in other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

NOTE in the video as she prepares the pies leisurely, in real time, she weighs all ingredients –even the olive oil and water– as she adds them, one by one in the bowl of the mixer, zeroing her electronic scale just before adding a new item. This is a wonderful trick that helps cooks use a minimum of  bowls and other measuring utensils. 

My recipe is adapted from Marilena Ioannides’ Kolokotes. I have increased the amount of raisins and doubled the pepper; also substituted fennel seeds for the fresh wild fennel she suggests.

Makes 6 large pies

For the DOUGH:

1 pound bread flour or a combination of pasta flour and all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

70 grams olive oil

250 grams very hot or boiling water —the secret to make smooth, elastic dough

For the FILLING:

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

100 grams bulgur (medium not fine)

150 grams raisins

30 grams olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 -1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I like it peppery)

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fennel seeds

Make the dough tossing the flour, salt, and olive oil in the bowl of a standing mixer. With the motor running pour in the hot water on the side, and work to obtain a soft, slightly sticky dough. Wrap in oiled plastic wrap and set aside. You can make the dough the previous day, refrigerate, wrapped, and bring to room temperature before proceeding further.

For the filling cut the squash in very thin slices, then in small cubes, matchsticks, or any kind of tiny bits. Add salt, olive oil and the raisins, then work with your hands to somewhat soften the squash.

Stir in the bulgur, cinnamon, pepper, and fennel seeds, and toss well to mix. 

Divide the dough into 6 pieces. (Marilena makes 7 pies but I find it difficult to divide the dough into an even number; I only use the scale for the filling).   

Preheat the oven to 150C  (about 300F) in convection mode. 

Roll each piece into roughly a 25 cm round, and place one sixth of the filling in the center, weighing all the filling  dividing the number into 6, then portioning and weighing 1/6th for each pie. Stir the filling each time before you take a portion as the moisture tends to go to the bottom.

Fold the round of dough to cover the filling; seal and crimp the edge, making sure the pie is completely closed so that the squash, bulgur etc. bake and steam inside the crust. Place the pies carefully on baking trays lined with parchment paper, and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 min to 1 h –until lightly colored on top and bottom.

If you bake both pans at the same time, change positions after 30 minutes, turning also the pans back to front.

Let the kolokotes cool on a rack or on thick kitchen towels before cutting to eat.

The flavor is infinitely better after they are completely cold, and I find that it is even better the next day! 

Keep on the counter for 2-3 days, if you manage to resist devouring them. You can also freeze and slowly reheat any leftover pies. 

The post Kolokotes: Squash-raisin-and-bulgur Hand Pies from Cyprus appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Adapted from my book The Foods of the Greek Islands.

The cornerstone of Greek sweets are the preserves made with the fruits of every season.

Each home has several different jars of fruit in the pantry, and guests are offered a teaspoon with a glass of water as a welcome to the house.

I know that fresh sour cherries are not the easiest fruit for most people to get, and their season is so short, so I suggest you make the preserves with perokerasa (Rainier cherries) instead.

Unfortunately, the true color of the Rainier cherries preserves is a quite unattractive murky yellow, so you are better off adding a few drops of red food coloring.  Instead, I prefer to boil a red beet with the cherries, a trick I learned from Tunisian cooks.

Makes 3 cups

2          pounds firm cherries, such as Rainier or Royal Ann (not pie cherries or Bing cherries), pitted (see NOTE Sour Cherry preserves)     

2          cups sugar      

1          small red beet, peeled and quartered (optional)       

1/4       cup freshly squeezed lemon juice      

2–3      teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the cherries and sugar and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days.

Transfer the cherry mixture to a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Let cool completely. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to a colander set over a large bowl. Bring the syrup to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add the beet (if using), the lemon juice and the syrup from the bowl. Boil the syrup until it reaches 235°F to 240°F on a candy thermometer.

Return the cherries to the pan and boil for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract and let cool completely. Discard the beet and pour the cherries into clean jars, filling almost to he top, then close he lids. As they cool, they will pop and seal so they will keep for up to a year, at least in a cool place.

If they do not seal, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

NOTE: Vissino, Sour Cherry Preserves

As sour cherries are quite tart, you may need to double the amount of sugar. It all depends on your personal taste. The Greek tradition is to add 1 kilo sugar for each kilo of pitted cherries, but this is far too much for my taste.

No aromatic or coloring is needed here, of course.

The post Cherry and Sour Cherry Preserves: Kerasi or Vyssino Glyko appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

I didn’t make the very intriguing rosemary whipped cream Adam suggests, which I will probably try another time, but opted for ice cream instead.

Since both Costas and I love the caramel base of the Apple and Quince Crumble I make often, I decided to repeat something similar here.

Needless to say, that I substituted again light olive oil for the butter in the original recipe, as I do all the time, and the result was absolutely great! Note that this cornbread/cake, unlike most other cakes, is best slightly warm, the day it is baked.

Serves 8: a 10-inch (26cm) skillet.

THE APPLE BASE:

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup light olive oil, canola or sunflower oil

2 Apples halved, cored, and thinly sliced; I used Fuji.

FOR THE CORNBREAD/CAKE

1 cup All-Purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar, plus 2-3 tablespoons Turbinado or any light brown sugar for sprinkling

2/3 cup light olive oil, canola or sunflower oil

2/3 cup full-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

Vanilla Ice Cream for serving (optional)

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the sugar and water. Swirl the skillet as it bubbles and gradually starts to color. When it is light amber add the olive oil, swirl the pan and spread the apple slices carefully, as they may splatter. Press with a wooden spoon and lower the heat. Simmer and don’t mind if some hard sugary pieces form; they will dissolve later as the cake bakes in the oven. When the apple slices have soften, after about 4-5 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Make the cornbread/cake: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a small bowl until combined and set aside. 

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the sugar and the eggs and work in slow to start with and increase the speed after 2 minutes; keep beating until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand-held mixer.

In a small bowl whisk the oil with the yogurt and add it to the egg mixture working on medium. Add the vanilla and gradually add the flours, continuing to beat in low, until completely incorporated. You will probably need to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to make sure all flour is mixed in.

Pour the batter over the apples and carefully spread it with the spatula. Scatter the strawberries on the batter and sprinkle with the light brown sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes or more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting to serve, accompanying with ice cream, if you like.

This cornbread/cake, unlike most other cakes, is best slightly warm, the day it is baked, but you can wrap the leftover in kitchen film and enjoy it the next day as well.

The post Strawberry and Apple Skillet Cornbread/Cake appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Served with or without ice cream, this is a seriously addictive dessert.

SERVES 8 – 10 

The CARAMEL

4 tablespoons/58 grams light olive oil

¾ cups/175 grams granulated sugar

4 ounces (120 grams) soft cream cheese (see NOTE)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½  teaspoon salt (see NOTE)

THE FRUIT

1 small quince, halved, seeded and cut into 1 -inch chunks

5 medium apples, about 1 kilo, 2 green, the rest red—somewhat sweet—each seeded and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces

½ cup crystalized ginger, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

The TOPPING

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup blond or brown sugar

Zest from 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (120 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup light olive oil

½ cup orange juice

Vanilla Ice Cream, optional for serving

Heat the oven to 375F (180C)

Prepare the caramel: Add 2 tablespoons water and the oil to a 12-inch oven-safe skillet with high sides. Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the sugar without stirring until bubbles start to appear. Now swirl the pan very carefully to help the sugar brown evenly. Once the caramel is dark amber, after about 6 minutes or a bit more, remove from the heat.

Let the mixture cool for 1 minute and then add the cream cheese, stirring until fully combined (the mixture will bubble rapidly). Add the vanilla and the salt.

Prepare the fruit: In a large bowl, toss together the quince, apples and ginger, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add the olive oil and orange juice and toss together until all the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Add the fruit to the caramel in the skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly with the topping.  

Bake until the caramel is bubbling in the center, the fruit is tender, and the topping is browned, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

NOTE:

Instead of the usual, imported, generic cream cheese, I like to make this crumble with our local cream cheese or fresh myzithra, which is much more flavorful, and somewhat salty, so I omit adding extra salt.   

The post Apple and Quince Crumble with Caramel appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

For the New Year I decided to dress it up, sprinkling with diced, caramelized citrus peels and pistachios; I also cut the year’s numbers on tangerine peels that I simmered in syrup before placing on the cake. 

See more New Year’s Cake recipes HERE and HERE. 

Bake the cake at least a day before you plan to serve it so the flavors  have time to develop. Cakes are best the day after!  

In our family it was simply called Tou Yiaourtiou (the one with yogurt), to distinguish with another, more elaborate festive dessert my mother and aunts prepared with store-bought lady-finger cookies and a heavy margarine-based cream –butter and heavy cream were not a common ingredient in Greece in my childhood years. 

Only recently I realized that this, ubiquitous urban Greek dessert is the Gateau aux Yaourt the simplest French cake, the first one kids bake as the portions are measured in the yogurt pot. Obviously my family, as most other bakers in Athens, got the recipe from Tselementes’ book. He obviously copied the French cake, but substituted margerine (!) for the olive oil, calling it Yiaourtopita (yogurt pie) a name that many bakers use today.  

Whenever I have, I use lemons from my garden, or our local tangerines and oranges that are wonderfully aromatic. I suggest you seek organic fruits for this and my other recipes. 

See also my Orange, Lemon or Tangerine Olive Oil Cake which I make pulsing the whole citrus fruit, not just zesting it.  

For a 9-inch (23 cm) round or square pan

THE CAKE

2/3 cup light olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for greasing pan

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

Fine zest of 4 lemons –fresh, preferably organic– OR 2 large Oranges and 2 Tangerines 

1 1/2 cup full-fat strained yogurt (Greek)

1/3 cup lemon or orange juice

THE SYRUP & TOPPING (optional)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice

1/3 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup home made Lemon Liqueur or any citrus-flavored liqueur

1 cup home made Lemon Marmalade or any citrus fruit marmalade you have at hand

1/2 cup toasted almonds or pistachios, coarsely ground

MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 375°F (200 C)

Line a round or square 9-inch (23 cm) pan with parchment paper and very lightly brush with oil. 

In a large bowl stir together the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.

Using a standing mixer, or hand-held mixer and a stainless-steel bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar for about 4-5 minutes, until creamy. Add the olive oil, the lemon or orange zest and the yogurt, and beat until incorporated.

Add half of the flour mixture and work very briefly to incorporate then add the remaining flour and the lemon or orange juice. Just incorporate the last ingredients and don not overwork the batter.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into batter, working until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and even the top with a spatula.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool 15 minutes on a rack.

Make the Syrup: While cake bakes, in a small saucepan combine the lemon or juice, the water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved.

When the cake is cool enough to handle but still warm, invert it onto a serving platter, peel off the paper and prick the surface all over with a toothpick. Using a spoon, douse the cake with syrup, making sure you cover the entire surface evenly.

Sprinkle with the liqueur, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand until it is completely cold.

Spread the lemon marmalade over the cake, and, if you like, sprinkle with toasted almonds or pistachios. Cover and let stand at room temperature a few hours or overnight before cutting to serve.

The post Yogurt and Olive Oil Cake with Citrus Fruits and Syrup appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

See also my previous recipe.

Frosso gave me the recipe she had gotten from Mrs Dandoura, mother of her class-mate and best friend Chrysouli who recently passed. Mrs Dandoura had learned to make kourambiedes from her mother and grandmother. They came from a wealthy, shipping Galaxidi family, a town 15 klm southwest of Delphi that had flourished in the 18th and through the 19th century as a result of maritime trade and commercial exchanges with the West due to its exquisite natural port.

Calculating the generations that baked these festive cookies, we concluded that the recipe must be at least 200 years old.  Thus kourambiedes were not, as the Greek version of Wikipedia cites “brought by prosfyges (refugees),”  the Anatolian Greek population who fled after the defeat in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) from Smyrna (Izmir) and other parts of Turkey. Prosfyges did, indeed, introduce quite a few special foods to Palaioelladites —the local Greeks– but certainly kourambiedes were already part of the local festive table in many parts of the country.  

Probably the word kourabies (plural kourabiedes) derives from Qurabiya a Persian and/or Arabic word with many variations, used for similar short-bread cookies throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. Often sprinkled or with the addition of rose or citrus-flower water, I have not seen any version of these cookies that contained so many spices, and I just imagine that the cosmopolitan Galaxidi merchants were maybe inspired by the festive European/Grerman cookies. But this is my assumption, as I am also baking Pfeffernüsse and Lebkuchen these days…

Paula Wolfert in her wonderful 1988 book ‘Paula Wolfert’s World of Food‘ has a version of kourabiedes she calls ‘Greek Butter-Almond Cookies’ and over the years she kept telling me how amazing they were. As she wrote in the headnote she served them in her wedding, as many Greek families do.  

Makes about 30 large or 40 small cookies.

1 1/3 cup butter, or a combination sheep’s milk and regular butter, oftened

 1/4  cup confectioner’s sugar, plus about 2 cups to coat the baked cookies

1  egg yolk

2  tablespoons mastic-flavored liqueur, ouzo, Pernod, or any anise-flavored liqueur 

1  cup un-skinned almonds, toasted in the oven for about 20 minutes and coarsely chopped 

2 1/2 -3 cups unbleached cake or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (optional)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

About 1/4 of a nutmeg, freshly ground

1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

About 1/4 cup citrus-blossom water to sprinkle the cookies

In a food processor or electric mixer, beat the butter for about 6 minutes until very light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and the the egg yolk, and continue beating, then add the liqueur or ouzo and process for 2-3 minutes more.

Sift the flour with the baking powder, and the spices.

Fit the processor with a dough hook and gradually add the flour. Process the mixture for just a couple of minutes, until a soft dough forms. Add the almonds and process until the dough is smooth again, about 1 minutes more.

Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C).

Shape tablespoons of dough into round, oval, or crescent-shaped cookies, and place on a cookie sheet, leaving about 1 inch between the cookies so that they won’t stick together as they expand.

Alternatively flatten the dough on the work surface making about 1/3 inch thick squares, and with small cookie cutters cut rounds, squares or crescents. Collect and flatten the leftover dough, then cut into shapes again.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes then sprinkle with the flower water.

Spread 2 cups confectioners’ sugar on a large serving plate. Very carefully, because they break easily, roll each cookie in the sugar, and place on a rack to cool.

Proceed with all the cookies, adding more sugar to the plate as necessary.

The post Galaxidi Kourambiedes: a New, Very Old Festive Treat appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

The mild taste of this unusual sweet is certainly a wonderful complement to the spicy Indian dishes; for my version I love to add crystalized ginger to give it a slight kick.

Mayukh Sen notes that Mr. Sharma riffs on a traditional dessert from the Indian state of Goa, using a base of coconut milk, eggs and sweet potatoes that are roasted and then puréed, perfumed with nutmeg. “…the addition of maple syrup is a distinctly American touch. (Mr. Sharma likes to make this for Thanksgiving.) Be sure to leave time for the bebinca to cool and set — at least 6 hours in the refrigerator, but preferably overnight,” Sen writes.

Yield: 8 servings

2 to 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds (750 gram)

5 tablespoons light olive oil or sunflower oil, plus more for the pan

6 large eggs

1 cup/200 grams grated jaggery or muscovado sugar

¼ cup/60 milliliters maple syrup

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ -1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1(13.5-ounce/400-milliliter) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour

Crystalized ginger, sunflower seeds or pistachios for decorating (optional)  

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt, pat them dry with paper towels and poke several holes in them with a fork. Put the potatoes on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast until completely tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely before handling. Peel the sweet potatoes, discard the skins, and purée the flesh in a food processor. Measure out 1 ⅔ cups/400 grams and set aside, saving the rest for another purpose. (The sweet potatoes may be roasted 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.) 

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees (180 C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch round or square baking pan with 2-inch sides with parchment paper and grease lightly with oil. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled sweet potato purée, olive oil, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg, turmeric, minced crystalized ginger and salt until well mixed. Add the coconut milk and flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth, with no visible streaks of flour.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and put the pan, still on the baking sheet, in the oven. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The pudding should be firm to the touch in the center and light golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate to set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Once the bebinca has set, run a sharp knife around the sides of the pan, flip the pan onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and tap gently to release. Peel the parchment off the top. Invert onto a serving dish, and peel off the second sheet of parchment paper. Decorate with crystalized ginger, pumpkin seeds or pistachios, if you like.  

To serve, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the chilled bebinca into wedges. Store the leftover bebinca, wrapped in plastic wrap, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The post Bebinca: Indian Sweet Potato Pudding/Cake appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

The fruit don’t look like much, but they taste wonderful. I wish we had more…

You can use plums instead of the damsons, but choose small, not large an juicy because they would collapse in the sugar.

This cake is basically another riff on the Apple or Quince Charlotka, the light and easy fruit cake both Costas and I love!  As I posted this recipe I received the Newsletter from Dorie Greenspan with the recipe for a Parisian  upside-down plum cake. Maybe you would like to try that one too…

For a 10-inch round cake –or equivalent square

1 ¼ cup sugar

About 1 ½ pounds fruit: 8-10 damson or plums, halved, stones removed, and 4-5 small pears washed, halved to remove the pips, and thinly sliced (do not peel)

1 cup coarsely ground walnuts

2/3 cup ground cookies –I used my Grape Must Cookies, but any kind of cookies or Graham Crackers will do

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

1 cup all-purpose flour

Caramelize the damsons: Heat on medium-high a deep, 10-11-inch non-stick skillet that can go into the oven adding 5 tablespoons sugar. Gently move the skillet as the sugar melts or stir with a spatula until the sugar caramelizes. Be careful not to let it get dark. Remove from the heat and wearing gloves and working fast lay the damsons, cut-side-down on the caramelized sugar –they don’t need to be perfectly arranged. Place again the skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to sizzle. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F degrees (180 C).

Make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, the rest of the sugar and salt on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be quite thick. Fold in the sliced pears.

Spread the walnuts and the ground cookies over the caramelized damsons, then pour the batter over the fruit in the skillet and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out almost clean and the top of the cake is golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then gently run a knife around the perimeter to loosen and very carefully, wearing gloves,  invert the pan on a platter and let cool completely before cutting to serve.

The post Damson and Pear Upside-down Cake appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

My mother used to bake a cake similar to this during Lent. We were not so religious as to follow the rules of the Church, which prohibited eating any food derived from animals during the forty days before Christmas and before Easter (and on many other occasions). We were simply continuing a family tradition which dictated that various foods or sweets should be made at a particular time of year.

The caramelized ginger, my recent addition to the recipe, enhances the rich flavor of this cake that has a dense texture, somewhat like an English fruitcake. 

Makes one 12 X 5 inch (30 X 12cm) cake

3 1/2     cups all-purpose flour

4   Tablespoons corn starch       

1    tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt             

1 1/2            teaspoons ground cinnamon     

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1     tablespoon grated orange zest

1/2 – 2/3  cup sugar –depending on how sweet you like your cakes

1     cup light olive oil, or a mixture of olive and safflower oil

1  teaspoon baking soda

1/2  cup brandy       

1  2/3    cups freshly squeezed orange juice         

1/2 cup golden raisins

10-12  dried apricots, chopped, about 2/3 cup         

1/2 cup  chopped crystalized ginger 

2/3 cup   coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios                         

Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180 C).

Line the deep loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly oil it. This will make removing the fragile cake from the pan easier.

Toss together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl.

Stir the sugar with the orange zest, rubbing with your fingers to mix and release the orge flavor. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil and sugar until well combined.

In a cup stir the baking soda with the brandy and add it to the oil-sugar mixture. 

Make a well in the flour mixture and stir in the oil and sugar, as well as the orange juice, stirring  just until smooth. Add the dried fruits and nuts and stir just until evenly distributed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for ONE hour or more, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes before carfully removing from the pan, lifting the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely before cutting, and better show restrain and only cut after a few hours, or the next day…

If you like, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Slice and serve.

The post Dried Fruit, Pistachio, and Orange Olive Oil Cake appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Make the mousse a day ahead, or even a couple of days before. When you are about to serve the dessert, assemble the pre-baked puff pastry and serve the mousse on the side.  

Serves 6-8  

About 15 -20 apricots, halved, pitted and roasted in the oven until soft. If they are unripe and sour, sprinkle with some sugar, if you like.

Pre-baked Puff pastry

1 1/2-2 cups  apricot jam, preferably homemade or good quality store-bought

The Mousse

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

6-10 rose geranium leaves or more, to taste, or use a few teaspoons store-bought rose geranium syrup, to taste

1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Apricot Jam for serving

Coarsely chopped pistachios for serving

Make the Mousse: Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl and let stand for 2-3 minutes to soften.

In a saucepan, over moderate heat, bring the remaining milk, the rose geranium leaves and all the sugar to a boil. Simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the gelatin mixture and turn off the heat. Stir vigorously on the stove until the gelatin dissolves completely. Pour the mixture into a metal bowl, add place it over an ice-water bath to cool rapidly.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes, stirring often until cold. Remove the leaves, if you have used them, add the yogurt and whisk to incorporate. Taste, and if you had not geranium leaves, add a couple of teaspoons rose geranium syrup, to taste.

Whip the heavy cream with a hand-held mixer until it gets a good amount of body. Fold the cream into the cooled milk-yogurt mixture. It must be completely incorporated. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until it starts to set.

You can let the cream set overnight in the bowl. Take out of the refrigerator and stir the cream a few times before assembling the mousse.

The Tart: On a square or rectangular plate place a piece of the pre-baked puff pastry. Spread generously with apricot jam and place one more piece of baked puff pastry on top. 

Spread generously with more apricot jam and arrange the roasted apricots on top. 

Sprinkle generously with pistachios and serve with the mousse.  

Assembling the mousse:
Add 1-2 tablespoons of apricot jam at the bottom of each serving glass and then divide the chilled mousse evenly among them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.

Serve sprinkled with pistachios, if you like.

The post Apricot Tart with Rose Geranium Yogurt Mousse appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.