Greek Stuffed Melomakarona

Every Christmas I think I become a New Person but my grandmother's stuffed melomakarona helped a little more to it!

I do not really know if there is a translation in other language about them, but when I think of Christmas I always remember their taste on my palate...

So I share this precious recipe with you:)

What you need:

For the dough:

2 cups sunflower oil

250gr butter (melted)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cups cognac

3/4 cups orange juice

1 tsp (fat) baking powder

orange zest (a lot)

and flour - there is not exact amount I can only show you how the dough should be:) around 1kg I would say...

For the filling:

All kinds of marmalades, sweet fruits, nuts depending on your taste

Cinnamon

Clove

Orange zest 

For the syrup: 

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp honey 

Decoration: Powder sugar

1. Put all your ingredients together except for the flour and mix well

2. Start adding the flour little by little until it is well incorporated and then..

3. Add more and more until you dough is like that, still moist though:) and set aside

4. Put in the processor all your goodies, nuts, sweetened fruits, clove, cinnamon and orange zest!

5. It should be something like this, and put aside

6. Return back to your daw and start taking little by little and make round plates.

7. With a small spoon put the filling in the center and..

8. ... fold into small pockets

9. Seal on top and... voila

10. I had a problem thou so their appearance did not come out every good, but the taste never disappoints me:) Bake for around 30 min at 180° or until golden brown!

11. In the meantime prepare the syrup but do not let it boil, and let aside so that it gets a little bit cooler.

12. When the 'melomakarona' are ready let them cool but not completely and dip them into the syrup for a few seconds and let them dry on kitchen paper. When they are completely cool you can then decorate with powder sugar:)

13. Mmmmm

14. And serve..

From the heart,

Anna

Lemon loaf soft and moist!

Sorry I am late:)

Dew to the huge amount of pics I have taken lately, I did not have space in my disc anymore! That made my cooking-photographing life difficult! But NOT anymore!

I am back with one of the most delicious loafs I have had lately and in my life in general:)

Loafs, remind me of bread and breads I love!

It is moist fresh and goes perfect with coffee:) especially morning coffee!

What you need:

320 gr. or 3 cups of caster sugar

3 eggs

the zest of 2 lemons

350 gr flour (all-purpose is fine)

1 1/2 tsp baking powdr

1 tsp salt

250 ml whole milk (it makes difference if you use low fat)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I put more;)

200 gr melted butter 

1. Beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest in your mixer, until well mixed.

2. Like this:)

3. IMPORTANT NOTE: You need 2 different bowls (let's name them A & B). In bowl A you put the flower (sifted), the baking powder and the salt. In bowl B you put the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the 1/3 of the flour mix into the mixer and then 1/3 of the milk mixture. Do that until both bowls are empty (please ask if this is not clear).

4. Melt the butter

5. And add it like a ribbon to the rest of the mix...

6. Beat until smoothly combined and pour the mixture in a 23x13 cm loaf tin! Bake in a preheated oven at 170° for 1 hour and 15 min 

7.  I love when cakes pop up;) 

P.S. I just love this cake, the smell - the texture - the appearance, please eat it tenderly! 

From the heart,

Anna

Feta-cheese Bread : (Τυρόψωμο)

I finally decided to make the feta-cheese bread!

I thing I miss feta a lot around here. Not that I cannot find it, but it is never like home! So whenever I have the chance to use it I use it Largely.

What you need:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cups olive oil

1 cup warm water

1 pack dry yeast (11gr)

salt-pepper

(any other herb you might want to use, suggestions: oregano or thyme)

1 cup feta cheese (If you don't like feta you can change it for olives)

Sesame or poppy seeds for topping!

1. In a large bowl put the warm water (38°-42° C is the best temperature for the yeast) and the yeast and mix with your hand!

2. When dissolved, add the oil, the salt and pepper and the preferable spices of yours!

3. Start adding the flour and also the feta cheese (or olives)

4. Until it becomes somehow like that and does not stick in your hands! You can add more flour if your batter is still sticky. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for about an hour!

5. After that put it in a pan and flatten it.

6. Put some water in your hand and spread it on the surface, sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top, both fit:)

7. Bake for 30-40 min at 170° C until golden brown...

8. Enjoy warm from the oven:)

From the heart,

Anna

Raspberry jam, easy!

Long time no see,

but I came back with a small memory from summer:)

All kinds of berries have always been favorites to me...However they are not available all year long, unless you make them!

So I decided to preserve the taste of summer in a jar, for as long as it lasts..

Raspberry jam is very very easy!

What you need:

500gr raspberries 

500gr granulated sugar

(In general you need the same amount of raspberries and sugar)

1. Take a picture of the wonderful berries:)

2. Put the berries and the sugar in a pan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has melted (dissolved)

3. You see not ready yet..

4. When the sugar is melted, boil over high heat for 5-7 min, even 7-9 until the mixture 

reaches setting point. This depends on the fruit.

5. When thick as you like it, remove it from the heat. Pour into hot sterilized jars, seal and let cool.

6. Enjoy with fresh from the oven bread and butter for best results:)

From the heart, 

Anna

Stuffed tomatoes, peppers and zucchini - Γεμιστά

Cook summer goodbye, with stuffed tomatoes, peppers and zucchini! 

Originally a summer recipe, since the ingredients are at their best at this time of the year.

The fact that they are stuffed only with rice, herbs and spices, caused them to be called fake which explains the absence of meat. They can also be found stuffed with minced meat, but my version is the fake one, pure summery, light, tasteful and the last thing I want to eat before summer ends!

So I cooked summer away...

What you need:

Depending on your pan and on your taste (some people only stuff tomatoes)

For approximately 15-17 tomatoes, peppers and zucchini I used the following:

2-3 small onions

1 1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup parsley

1 cup dill

1 tsp tabasco

2 cups rice

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 extra tomatoes just for the juice

breadcrumbs

1. Wash the vegetables very well and..

2. Cut the upper part! Let the tomatoes hats be still attached to the tomatoes, but cut completely the hats of peppers. The inner part of the tomato empty in a separate bowl for later. Clean the peppers from the inside and throw away the seeds.

4. Neat and clean;) ready to be stuffed! Arrange in the pan nicely...

5. Meanwhile in the bowl where you kept the tomato take the big pieces and put in the blender to make it (almost) liquid.

6. Until it is pureed! At this phase you can add 1-2 tomatoes extra for more juice;) It will add more taste and texture to the food!

7. Do the same with the onion, put in the blender and add some salt so that their taste becomes more intense.

8. Cut the parsley and the dill and..

9. Put the tomato juice, the onion, the herbs and add all the remaining ingredients (oil, salt, pepper, sugar, tabasco)!

10. Stuff all the vegetables!

11. ;) And don't forget to put their hats on!

12. For those who decided to add a zucchini, now it is the moment! Cut them and with a small spoon remove the inside!

13. And stuff of course...

14. When all is done!! Put in the pan with water and a little bit of olive oil! (1 cup of rice equals 3 cups of water). Add 6 cups of water (in our case) and...

15. Put in the oven for 1h and 30min (depending on the oven it might need 1h and 45min) at 180° C. I usually put it at 200° in the beginning until the water starts boiling and later decreasing the temperature! At same time before lowering the temperature take the pan out and add some dried breadcrumbs on top of every hat, to avoid them burning!

16. And serve with yogurt of feta cheese!

Bye bye summer...

From the heart,

Anna