• Home
  • About me
  • Recipe Index
  • Cooking School
  • Contact me

Maison Travers

~ Living & Cooking in France

Maison Travers

Tag Archives: traditional

Melomakarona – Greek walnut, syrup cookies

19 Sunday Apr 2020

Posted by Nadia in Biscuits/cookies and cakes, General

≈ 3 Comments

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!

Advertisement

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Oxtail Potjie – Insanely good South African oxtail stew

02 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by Nadia in Beef, General, South African Recipes, Stews

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

beef shank, oxtail, potjie, potjiekos, rainbow nation, sherry, South Africa, traditional

IMG_4709What is a potjie or potjiekos, you are most probably wondering? Potjiekos is a traditional stew that is native to South Africa, made in a small cast iron, three legged, black pot over an open fire. The pot itself is called a potjie.

potjie_0020_4The name “potjiekos” is an Afrikaans word meaning small pot food basically. What sets potjiekos apart from traditional cooking methods is the fact that it is cooked outside. Potjiekos is uniquely South African and is an uncomplicated, friendly food, to be enjoyed by rich and poor, young and old, city-dwellers and country folk, needing only one’s imagination when it comes to selecting the ingredients. You can have a seafood, chicken, lamb, pork, beef, you name it potjie. What differs it from a stew is the fact that the meat and other ingredients are packed in layers. Usually the meat goes in first, then the onions, garlic, herbs and spices are added. Finally some red wine or stock and stir. Now add the vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut, carrot etc. Add more liquid to ensure all veggies are well covered and cook for several hours.  Most important – Do not stir again until the food is cooked and ready to be served.
I, unfortunately do not have a real potjie but that is not for long. I am going to South Africa in a few weeks and intend bringing one back with me. Growing up all my neighbours in Goodwood, a very Afrikaans neighbourhood, had one and I was lucky enough to be invited over for a steaming hot, delicious potjie quite often. I have fond memories… Now you are most probably saying – but what about me, I do not have one and am not going to South Africa in the foreseeable future, so what can I do? Fear not, this dish can be easily recreated in a good, large, cast iron pot. And if you do not want to cook it over hot coals in the yard in the middle of winter, during a snowstorm, once again, no problem – the stove will do the job, Yes, it will not be an authentic potjie and some of the true Afrikaaner forefathers must be turning in their graves at my suggestions, but at least you will be able to enjoy this delicious stew – most probably one of the tastiest potjiekos recipes, simply devine!

IMG_4698IMG_4699IMG_4700IMG_4701IMG_4703IMG_4704IMG_4705IMG_4706IMG_4707IMG_4708Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 kg / 4 pounds oxtail, cut into pieces (can used beef shank if you do not have oxtail )
6 slices thick bacon cut into pieces or lardons
1/2 cup flour
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
6 medium leeks chopped
2 large onions, chopped coarsely
6 carrots, 3 chopped coarsely and 3 finely diced
20 button mushrooms
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Dry the oxtail pieces with a paper towel
Put the flour in a plastic zip-lock bag, add the meat and shake to coat it
Heat the butter and oil over medium high heat and sauté the bacon
Remove bacon and set aside
Brown the oxtail evenly and set aside
Add the finely diced carrots, leeks and onions and cook until soft and translucent
Add the oxtail, bacon, bouquet garni, peppercorns, garlic, tomato paste, red wine and sherry
Bring slowly to a boil and cook on a gentle simmer for 3 hours, covered
1 hour before serving, add the remaining carrots and the mushrooms
Season with salt and pepper
Just before serving, add the cream and stir
If you wish to thicken the sauce, mix some cornstarch with the cream before adding.
Serve with rice, mash or samp.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Maison Travers on WordPress.com

Social

  • View nadiamaisontravers’s profile on Instagram
  • View nadiakgraves’s profile on Pinterest

Facebook

Facebook

Categories

  • Appetizers
  • Beef
  • Biscuits/cookies and cakes
  • Breakfast
  • Cheese
  • Chicken
  • Desserts
  • Duck
  • Game
  • General
  • Lamb
  • Life in Dordogne
  • Pasta
  • Pork
  • Rabbit
  • Salads
  • Sauces
  • Savoury Tarts and Quiches
  • Seafood
  • Sides
  • Soup
  • South Africa/Rainbow Nation
  • South African Recipes
  • Stews
  • Turkey
  • Veal
  • vegetables

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Maison Travers
    • Join 570 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Maison Travers
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: