Back to School

Today, 11^th September 201l, the youth of Greece is starting the new school year in the kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and universities of the country.

           Tomorrow, 12^th September 2012, there will be a national 24-hour strike by the primary school teachers, and an intended 3-hour stoppage of work per day, by the secondary school teachers.  They are both protesting against staff shortage and further salary cuts, imposed by the austerity programme, proposed by the Troika.   Apparently the technical universities will be shut all week.   And finally, the university professors intend to strike because, according to the programme, their salaries will be slashed by a further 25%.  Not a good start at all.  I’m afraid this will be an autumn of great unrest.

          To sweeten the pill, let’s bake a few goodies for the schoolchildren and students of our family and their friends.  

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

400 g (13oz +) butter, at room temperature

500 g (3 4/5 cups) sifted flour, mixed with

200 g (1 cup) caster sugar and

A pinch of salt and

Vanilla

          The traditional way of making shortbread is by rubbing the butter into the flour mixture and kneading softly, until a smooth, soft dough is formed;  then by covering and refrigerating it for about 30 minutes, at least. That’s the method I use for making the dough.   Then it’s either baked in a shortbread mould or cut into triangles and garnished with the prongs of a fork.

         For a cookie, as the dough is very butterry and difficult to roll out, take a small amount of dough each time, a bare teaspoonfull, shape it into a ball and place it on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment.   Then flatten it out  thinly and evenly with the palm of your hand or with a baby roller and, without moving it, cut it with a biscuit cutter, removing the excess dough.  Continue so, until the baking tin is full.  

          Bake the biscuits in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F), for 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch and slightly browned.   Transfer them to cake racks to cool completely and, then, either store them in biscuit tins or refrigerate them.   

                                                

CHEESE PUFFS

         You could fill these puffs with a cheesy white sauce, or any other appropriate filling.  You could also fry them, if preferred.   They are delicious any way you choose to prepare them!

                                   

250 ml (1cup) water

112 g ( a bare1/2 cup) butter

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

150 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) flour

4 eggs

135 g (1 ½ cups) Gruyere or Parmesan or mature Cheddar grated

          Bring water, butter, sugar and salt to the boiling point. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously until the dough forms a ball around the spoon.  Remove from the fire and set aside to cool

  

          Beat the dough with a wire whisk to lighten it and add the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg has been thoroughly incorporated into the dough before adding the next. Then add the cheese and mix well together. Cover the dough and place overnight in the fridge. 

          With a piping bag or with the help of 2 wet teaspoons, place small mounds of the mixture on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, 5 cm (2 in) apart.  Bake in a hot oven 200 C (400 F) for 12 minutes or until puffed, and then reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F), or even lower, for the next 15 minutes.  

           Make an incision on the side or the bottom of each puff, cool on a rack and store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until needed.  Then heat and fill the choux with a cheesy white sauce. They are also very tasty without a filling.

                                           

ELPIDA’S NAKED CHEESE PIE

Our daughter-in-law Elpida gave me the recipe for this wonderful, light savoury cake, we all adore.

 200 g (almost 7oz) (1 tub) strained yoghurt

180 g (6 oz) butter, melted

6 eggs separated, whites, whipped into soft peaks with a pinch of salt

150 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

450 g (15 oz) feta, crumbled

3 tbsp Parmesan, grated

Pepper, freshly ground

           Process all the ingredients together, except the egg whites, at medium speed, for about 2 minutes.  Lower the speed to the minimum and add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites.  Turn out the mixture into a large bowl, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites.   

          Pour the batter into a buttered, 30 cm (12 in) round baking dish and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) degrees about 35-40 minutes, until golden and puffed.

(Serves 6-8)