GREEK DESSERTS

                                                

 

                                                  LEMON BOUGATSA

750 ml (3 cups) milk

3 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1 vanilla

2 eggs

430 g (2 cups) sugar

130 g (2/3 cup) semolina

375 ml (1 ½ cup) water

62.5 ml ( ¼ cup) Metaxa brandy

3 strips lemon strips

Olive oil

10 sheets phyllo pastry

 

Place the milk, lemon rind and vanilla in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.  Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and half the sugar until pale and fluffy in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan.  Gradually stir in the semolina.  Cook stirring until the mixture thickens into a custard and transfer to a bowl to cool, then cover with cling film and chill.

 

Meanwhile, place the water, brandy, lemon rind, and remaining sugar in a saucepan, over low heat.  Cook stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil until the syrup reduces and thickens.  Discard the lemon rind and set it aside to cool.  Then cover and store in the fridge.

 

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and line a 16x24 cm tin with baking parchment. Brush the parchment with olive oil. Place a phyllo sheet on the tin and brush with olive oil and repeat the procedure 3 times.  Spoon in the custard and smooth the surface.  Cover with 4 pastry sheets brushed with olive oil.  Tuck the sheets into the side of the tin to enclose the filling.   Brush lavishly with oil and bake for 35 minutes or until crisp and golden.  Pour the cold syrup over the hot bougatsa, and serve with vanilla ice cream

 

 

                                          GALCTOBOUREKO (Custard Pie)

800 g (1.8 lb) sugar

450 ml (1.9 cup) water

1 cinnamon stick

1 rind of lemon

75 g (2.6 oz) honey

 

For the custard:

4 eggs

200 g (7 oz ) sugar

500 ml (1 fl lb) milk

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla

170 g (6 oz) semolina

100 g (3.4 oz) butter

 

500 g (1 lb) phyllo pastry

220 g (7.4 oz) melted butter

 

Place the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and lemon rind in a saucepan and stir simmering until the sugar dissolves.  Then add the honey and remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool. 

 

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Whip the eggs with half the sugar until pale and fluffy.  Place the cream, milk, and the remaining sugar, a pinch of salt, and the vanilla and bring to a boil.  Add the semolina stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until a thick custard is formed.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and continue beating. 

 

Ladle all the custard into a bowl.  Whip the cream and milk until cold.  Mix the custard with the butter and allow to cool. 

 

Butter a baking dish.  Place a phyllo sheet in the tin and brush with a little butter repeat the procedure for 4 more pastry sheets. Spoon in the custard and smooth the surface.  Cover with 5 buttered pastry sheets and tuck them neatly into the sides of the tin.  Cut into 12 portions. Brush lavishly with butter and bake for 1-1 ½ hours.  Remove the galaktoboureko from the oven and pour the cold syrup on top. 

 

Allow to cool and absorb all the syrup before serving.

 

 

                                                       WALNUT PIE

400 g (14 oz) sugar

400 ml (14 fl oz) water

½ a lemon

1 cinnamon stick

 

For the walnut pie:

250 g (8 oz) butter at room temperature, cubed

300 g (10.6 oz) sugar

4 eggs

120 ml (4.2 fl oz) milk

1 vanilla

500 g (1lb) self-rising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

 150 g (5.3 oz) walnuts thickly ground

50 g (1.7 oz) almonds, roasted

150 g (5.3 oz) chocolate, thickly chopped

½ tsp salt

 

For the icing:

200 g (7 oz) chocolate, thickly chopped

100 ml (3.5 fl oz) cream

Boil the water, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon stick and stir. When the sugar dissolves remove from the heat and allow to cool.

 

For the walnut pie, preheat the oven to180 C (350 F). Whip butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time until they are well combined.

 

Blend the walnuts, the cloves, the cinnamon stick until the walnuts reach the desired size.  Place the above mixture in a bowl and stir in the flour baking powder and salt.  Whip the milk and dry ingredients for 2 minutes.

 

Brush a 25x32 cm tin with butter and sprinkle with flour.  Spoon in the walnut batter and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour over the cold syrup.  Allow one hour so all the syrup is absorbed and serve with vanilla ice cream.    

                          VEGAN BUCKWHEAT CHOCOLATE  CHIP BISCUITS 

1 cup light couloured buckwheat flour

1/2  cup sugar

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 vanilla

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vinegar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 C and line a baking tin with parchment paper.  In a large bowl stir together, buckwheat flour, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.   Then add the vinegar which will react with the baking soda and help the biscuits rise a bit. 

Fold in the chocolate chips, then with the help of a soup spoon scoop the dough into 12 mounds spaced evenly apart on the lined baking sheet. flatten each biscuit with your hands and bake until the edges are firm about 10 minutes and cool 10 minutes before serving.

 

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO BE INNONULATED AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS TO KEEP YOUR BELOVED FAMILIES AND YOURSELVES HEALTHY