THE COCALI GIRLS

                                                                                              “Sugar and Spice …”

                     

My husband, Aleco, had three brothers, George, Pericles and Nikos, three sisters-in-law, Nelly, Dolly and Cleo, and many nieces and nephews.   Being an only child, I was fascinated and delighted being a part of this large, bustling family.  

I have very fond memories of the children, growing up with our two boys.   I shall always remember their jokes and pranks but also their sweet, endearing ways.  Like all youngsters they were, sometimes, naughty and disobedient, other times, kind and surprisingly polite, but always very precious.    

This post is dedicated to the talented and charming Cocali girls and thus, indirectly, to the boys.

                                        DESPINA’S LIQUID CHOCOLATE DESSERT

 

                                                             A chocolate feast!


Despina is Pericles' and Dolly’s eldest daughter.  She is married to George Bitsopoulos and they have two very good sons and two adorable granddaughters. 

George and Despina have a chocolaterie and chocolate boutiques called “Aristocratikon”, where one can find the most delicious hand made chocolates, of the highest quality, with many textures, flavours and shapes.  

Despina is an accomplished business woman, a wonderful mother and grandmother and a very nice person.   She gave me this recipe for (what else?) a delectable chocolate dessert!

250 g (½ lb) dark chocolate

250 g (½ lb) butter

250 g (½ lb) sugar

6 eggs separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt

Vanilla

200 g (almost1½ cup) self raising flour  

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)

Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water, au bain Marie and cool.

Beat the yolks with the sugar and vanilla until pale and doubled in bulk.  Stir in the cool chocolate mixture until well combined.   Sift the flour over, and stir very well together. Fold in the whipped egg whites, until no traces of white are visible.

Pour the batter into a buttered baking tin, lined with baking parchment and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

                                              NAYA’S BAVAROIS AUX FRAISES

Naya is married to our nephew Dimitri, Nicos' and Cleo’s son, and they have two wonderful children, a son and a daughter.   Dimitri and Naya are well-known lawyers and a very popular couple.     I liked Naya from the very first time I met her.   She is pleasant, charming and according to Cleo very thoughtful and generous.

Here is the recipe she gave me for you, of which I have no words...

                  

For the base:

One packet of petits  beurre biscuits

1 liqueur glass of good quality brandy, optional

A 24 cm (almost 10 inch) springform tin, lined with baking parchment

For the mousse:

6 gelatin sheets, separated and soaked in ice-cold water for 5-6 minutes 

500 g (1 lb) hulled strawberries

120 g (4 oz) icing sugar

The juice of one lemon

400 ml (14 fl oz) double cream or

250 ml (1 cup) double cream, whipped to the soft peak stage, and

200 g (1 small tub) thick Greek yogurt

Several strawberries for garnish

 Cover the lined springform tin with biscuits and sprinkle with brandy, if using.

Blend the strawberries with the icing sugar and lemon juice, until the coulis (fruit pulp) is smooth, and pour into a large bowl.  Remove ½ a cupful of the coulis and heat but do not boil it.   Squeeze the softened gelatin sheets with your hands, in order to remove the extra water, and stir them, vigorously, into the hot strawberry pulp until completely dissolved.  

Pour the gelatin/strawberry mixture into the remaining strawberry coulis, mix until very well combined, cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile, whip the cream to the soft peak stage and fold it carefully into the coulis.  (If using yogurt, first stir it, so that it becomes soft and creamy, and combine it thoroughly into the iced strawberry coulis.  Then fold in the whipped cream.) 

Pour the mousse over the biscuits in the springform tin and level the surface.   Cover with cling film and ice for at least 4 hours.

Release the springform, place the bavarois on a pretty dish and garnish with halved strawberries. Bon appetit!

 

                       ELVA’S CHEESECAKE WITH SOUR CHERRY TOPPING

George and Nelly's daughter, Elva, and their granddaughter, Marina-Georgia, are living abroad and I couldn’t get into touch with them.  
  
Nevertheless, I’m certain that Elva would have given me the following recipe, for a lovely cheesecake that she often prepared, when she lived in Greece.

For the crust:

300 g (10 oz) chocolate, digestive biscuits crumbs

150 g (5 oz) melted butter

A very tiny pinch of cinnamon

Filling:

500 g (1 lb) cream cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

90 g (3 oz) icing sugar

Vanilla

750 ml (1 ½ lb) double cream, whipped into soft peaks

Topping:

A 453 g (almost 1 lb) jar of sour cherry spoon sweet, strained
1-2 tbsp cherry brandy, for grownups only

Mix biscuit crumbs with melted butter and cinnamon, and press evenly over the bottom and a little up the sides of a 30 cm (12 inch) springform tin.

Beat the first four ingredients for the filling until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream, until well combined.  

Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base and level the surface.   Cover the tin with cling film and ice for 4 hours, at least

Before serving, garnish the top evenly with sour cherries and dribble a little cherry brandy over.

 

                                                      MARIA-LIZA’S APPLE PIE

Maria-Liza married Dimitri, Pericles’ and Dolly’s son and they have two lovely children, a boy and a girl, both students.  

Although Dimitri is a civil engineer and Maria-Liza has studied International Relations, they run a popular café in Athens called “Café des Poetes” where they offer excellent coffee and sweets but also very tasty savoury tarts and pies with a glass of good wine.

Maria-Liza is attractive, pleasant and a very good hostess.   She kindly gave me this recipe for a superb, crispy apple-pie.

 Pastry:

250 g (½ lb) plain flour

125 g (¼ lb) butter

A little water 

Filling:

1 kg (2 lb) apples, peeled, cored and cubed

200 g (almost 7 oz) butter, cut into small pieces

200 g (almost 7 oz) sugar

First prepare the pastry.   Gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.   Add just enough water so that the pastry comes together.  Flatten the dough, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).    Meanwhile arrange the apples in a baking tin.   Place the butter, evenly, on top of the apples and sprinkle with sugar.   Bake for 30 minutes.   Remove from the oven to cool.

Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking parchment.   Drape the pastry sheet over the cool apples, cut the excess pastry and tuck it neatly down the sides of the tin.  Bake the apple pie for 30 minutes more or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

                               DESPINA’S  BILBERRY AND CASHEW NUT BISCUITS

Our niece Despina is Nicos’ and Cleo’s daughter.    Despinaki, as Aleco used to call her, was married with Petros Andriopoulos, of whom we were all so very fond.    Despina is elegant and very amiable and she has a brilliant son and a beautiful and talented daughter.

Despina gave me this recipe for exquisite biscuits that you could prepare and enjoy with your tea or coffee.     

100 g (3oz + 1 tbsp) butter, at room temperature

  60 g (2 oz) brown sugar

A pinch of salt

1 egg, at room temperature

150 g (5 oz) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

  80 g (almost 3 oz) bilberries

  80 g (almost 3 oz) cashew nuts, thickly ground

Vanilla

The grated rind of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 160 C (300 F).

Combine the sifted flour and baking powder with the bilberries and nuts.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.  Stir in the egg, the grated orange rind and the vanilla.     Add the flour mixture, by the spoonful. Then mix with your hands and knead, until a soft, pliable dough is formed.   Cover with cling film and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Then roll out the dough, between two pieces of baking parchment to a 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thickness.    Remove the top piece of parchment and cut the pastry into shapes of your choice, with cookie cutters.   Arrange them on a tin, lined with baking parchment, keeping them 2 ½ cm (1 inch) apart, Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

                                                   ATHINA’S CARROT CAKE   

 

                                                               By Athina Rizos



Athina is Pericles’ and Dolly’s youngest daughter.    She is married to Dimitri Rizos, the well-known architect and they have two fantastic sons.

Athina is the artistic part of the family.    She is a talented graphic designer and a paint-artist, specializing in portraiture.   She has taken part in the hagiography of churches and has painted several murals.   For the last few years, besides painting portraits she also creates works of art on diverse, every day materials.

Athina is attractive, obviously talented and a very sweet person.   She gave me the following recipe for a luscious, juicy carrot cake.

Cake:

275 g (9 oz + 1 tbsp) self raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

300 g (10 oz) sugar

75 g (2½ oz) almonds, peeled and finely ground

3 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tsp ginger powder

300 ml (1 1/5 cup) sunflower oil

280 g (9 1/3 oz) thickly grated carrots

4 eggs

Topping: (optional)

400 g (13 1/3 oz) cream cheese

4 tsp honey

2 tsp lemon juice

Several almonds for garnish

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)

Place all the dry ingredients together and mix well to combine.

Add the sunflower oil, the grated carrots and the eggs, one at a time, and stir well after each addition.   Spoon, either into a buttered 30x25 cm (12x10 inch) pyrex dish, or into two disposable bread loaf tins.    Bake for 45-55 minutes and remove from the oven to cool.

Meanwhile prepare the topping if using.  Mix all the ingredients together and spread, attractively, over the cool cake and garnish with halved almonds   We prefer the carrot cake without the topping.

And last but not least are my two daughters-in-law, who are so near to my heart.     I consider my sons very lucky, indeed, being married to these alluring, accomplished and very nice girls.

                                          


                                       YIANNA'S BITTER ORANGE SPOON SWEET

                                          

                                       

Yianna and my son Spiros met in Munich, where she was studying architecture.   They have three very good sons, Alexandros, Konstantinos and Stephanos, all of whom, we are very proud.    Alex and his charming wife Tina have two tiny, precious daughters, two-year old Janna and baby Sophia.

Yianna creates beautiful silver jewellery and she has taken part in exhibitions with great success.   She also knits beautifully, now mostly for her granddaughters!

She gave me this recipe for a delicious spoon-sweet that, when sliced, can also be used for garnishing cakes and desserts.

12 bitter oranges, washed and dried, weighing 570 g (about 1 lb 20z)

1200 (almost 2 lb 7 oz) sugar

750 ml (3 cups) water

1 lemon, the juice

Grate the orange skins slightly to prevent bitterness.  Score the rinds into 4 or 6 segments, according to the size of the fruit. 

Roll each segment tightly.   With the help of a thick needle and strong thread, pierce each roll to prevent it from opening.   Sew 20 to 24 pieces of orange peel together, to resemble a necklace, and tie the two ends together.   You could alternately secure the rolls with toothpicks.

Place the necklaces in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.   Simmer for 15 minutes, strain and wash under the cold water tap.  Also wash the saucepan thoroughly.  Repeat the procedure twice more.  The fruit ought to be tender.  If not, boil until you achieve the desired softness.

After the final procedure, place the orange peel rolls in a large bowl with cold tap water.   Repeat the procedure 2-3 times more until the fruit is cold.

Then place the rolls in cold water for 16-18 hours, changing the water 5-6 times.  Taste a small morsel from the centre of the peal to check bitterness.   If it is still bitter, change the water twice more, leaving the fruit submerged for 6 hours.

Strain and dry the necklaces and remove the thread.  

Meanwhile prepare the syrup by combining sugar and water and letting it boil for 4-5 minutes.   Add the fruit to the syrup and bring to a brisk boil.   After 5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the stove.

Seven to eight hours later, bring the saucepan to a steady boil for 5-10 minutes or until the syrup thickens.   Pour in the lemon juice, and stir and simmer 2-3 minute more.   Allow the spoon sweet cool a little and ladle it into hot, sterilized jars.   Seal securely and reverse the jars, until the preserve is completely cold.   Ke tou chronou! 

  

                                         ELPIDA’S EASY PSEUDO-BOUYATSA

                                                                 (Cream Pie)

Elpida is married to my son Yiannis, and besides my lovely granddaughter Joy, they have two wonderful boys, my youngest grandchildren, Alexandros and Christophoros who are both schoolboys.    

Elpida has studied Sociology and Applied Arts.   For the last few years she designs and makes fashionable, necklace-scarves (HulaHope) that have become very popular.   Her recent creations are small handbags and pouches (Hoping) made out of can tabs that look exclusive and expensive.

Please see www.facebook.com/pages/HulaHopegr559329390768470  

Elpida is a wonderful mother and very good cook.   She gave me this recipe for a tasty dessert which is very easy to prepare.        ….

2 Pyrex dishes of equal size, brushed with melted butter

10 phyllo pastry sheets, divided

120 g (4 oz) melted butter

500-750 ml (2-2½ cups) milk

150 g (½ cup) sugar

½ vanilla pod split lengthwise, seeds scraped into the milk

75 g (½ cup) or more icing sugar

Cinnamon powder

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)

Brush each phyllo sheet lavishly with melted butter, pleat and place in consecutive, touching rows, in the buttered Pyrex dishes (5 phyllo sheets for each dish).   Bake both dishes for 25-30 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove them from the oven and reserve one dish for later use.

Meanwhile, heat the milk with the sugar and vanilla pod, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.   Remove the pod (rinse, dry and reserve for another dessert) and pour the milk, evenly, over the crisp pastry of one of the Pyrex dishes and bake for 25-30 minutes more.   Remove from the oven to cool a little.   Arrange the reserved crisp pastry, carefully, over.

Cut the bouyatsa in portions and serve sprinkled with icing sugar and a little cinnamon.   Kali orexi!