Melomakarona – Greek walnut, syrup cookies

Tags

biscuits, christmas, cookies, greek, honey, syrup, traditional, walnuts

These sweet little Greek honey cookies are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive! These cookies are incredibly soft, moist, flavorsome and soaked in a delicious honey syrup.

Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) are traditional Greek Christmas cookies, that are served during Christmas time throughout Greece. The word “melomakarona” is a combination of the two words “meli”, which means honey and “makarona” that comes from the ancient word “makaria” and means blessed. Now, I do realise that we are only April and nowhere near Christmas yet but really…. does it matter? Who needs an excuse to make some delicious bites of goodness?

Serve them over a hot cup of coffee and you will have a match made in heaven!

note:To syrup the melomakarona, the syrup must be cold and the melomakarona hot. This will help the cookies to absorb the syrup and become moist on the inside. So, start by making the syrup first and then the dough. If you are in a hurry you can place the syrup in the refrigerator to cool down, while preparing the dough for the melomakarona.

Makes about 30

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, 1 cup
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Oranges, 2 juiced
Lemon, 1 juiced
Egg yolk, 1
Ouzo liqueur, 1 tablespoon
Self raising flour, 3 cups
Cinnamon, ground 3/4 teaspoon
Walnuts, finely chopped, 1 1/3 cups
Syrup:
Sugar, 1 cup
Honey, 1/2 cup
Water, boiling, 1/2 cup
Cinnamon stick, 1
Cloves, whole, 4
Lemon, juice of 1/2

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper
Using an electric mixer, beat oil, sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy (Start electric mixer on low speed and increase speed as mixture thickens)
Add egg yolk and ouzo Beat for 5 minutes
Sift flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over oil mixture
Fold gently to combine (mixture should be a light, doughy texture)
Using hands, roll tablespoons mixture into oval shapes
Place on prepared trays
Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch
Allow to cool on trays

Make syrup
Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat
Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved
Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low
Simmer for 4 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly

Using a slotted spoon, dip cooled biscuits, 1 at a time, into hot syrup for about 30 seconds, turning over often until well coated
Return to trays
Combine walnuts and remaining ground cinnamon
Sprinkle over biscuits
Allow to cool before eating

Bon Appétit!

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Duck breast with honey and vinegar / Magret de Canard au miel et au vinaigre

Tags

Duck, duck breast, honey, magret, Perigord, shallots, vinegar

5 ingredients – that’s all you need to create an amazing dish that is equally good for a simple weekday meal or a beautiful showpiece main course for your next fancy dinner party.  The recipe uses duck magret or “magret de canard,” the breast of a Moulard duck raised for foie gras.  The Moulard is a large bird known for its ample, fatty breast meat.  Two-star Michelin chef Andre Daguin was reportedly the first to sear a magret like a steak at the Hotel de France in 1959. The impromptu recipe caught on and is now found in restaurants the world over.

A typical dish from the Perigord region of France where duck is king.  The cuisine’s origins are often rustic and modest, ingredients are from the terroir which is very rich in taste and flavour: duck, walnuts, wild mushrooms, truffles, honey and wines.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 duck breasts (magret)
2 shallots, finely diced
3 tablespoons honey (acacia honey is good)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place the magret fat side up on a cutting board
With a very sharp knife, score the fat in a criss-cross pattern

Preheat a  large skillet over medium high heat – do not add butter or oil
Add the duck and sear the breasts, skin side down for 6 minutes
Reduce the heat to medium low and drain most of the fat and reserve for later use
Flip the duck breasts over
Cook them for an additional 6 minutes (magret is best served medium rare)
Wrap the breasts in aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside
Add the shallots to the skillet and allow them to cook, while stirring, for about 2 minutes
Deglaze the skillet with the honey and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits as the sauce cooks
Simmer the honey vinegar glaze for 2 to 3 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Return the duck breasts to the pan, turning them a few times to coat them evenly with the honey glaze
Carve them into thickish slices and serve them immediately garnished with some of the sweet sour sauce
Enjoy!

 

 

Cook’s Tip: Pour the rendered duck fat into a clean container. Let it cool, refrigerate it, and save it for other culinary uses. It will keep for months and add a wonderful taste to a variety of recipes, particularly potatoes. You can also use it to sear other meats, delivering a unique, extra kick of flavor.

 

 

Lemon, Pine-nut and Lavender Honey Tart

Tags

honey, lavender honey, lemon, pine-nuts, tart

You could use store bought pastry to make this tart but you would be missing out on a big part of its goodness – rich, buttery, shortbready pastry. So, I strongly encourage you to make the pastry for this one but if that is the only thing that is holding you back from making this glorious tart, then use store bought. But, do make this tart. You will not regret it. It is very easy to put together too, just mix all in one bowl and bake. Now, how easy is that?

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Pastry:
2 cups cake (self raising) flour
1/2 cup / 120 g  unsalted butter, cold and cut into little cubes
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Filling:
1/2 cup / 120 g unsalted butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
180 g / 6 oz lavender honey, lightly warmed
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
225 g / 8 oz pine-nuts
Pinch salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F
Lightly butter a 24 cm / 9″ tart pan
Pastry:
Sift the flour into a large bowl
Add the cold butter and work it with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
Add the icing sugar
Add the egg and water and work, with your hands, to a firm dough (will be quick)
Lightly flour a flat surface
Place the dough on your surface and roll it out
Gently place the dough in the tart pan
Prick the base with a fork and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
Place parchment paper and baking beads in the base and bake for 10 minutes
Set aside
Filling:
Cream the butter and sugar until pale
Beat in the eggs, one at a time
Add the honey, lemon zest and juice
Add the pine-nuts and salt and stir
Pour the filling into the pre-baked pastry shell
Bake for 45 minutes, until lightly browned and set
If it browns too quickly, place some aluminum foil over the top but be careful not to touch the topping as it will stick to the foil
Leave to cool for a few hours
Serve with whipped cream or créme fraîche
Enjoy!