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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Courgette Cake with cream cheese icing

Tags

baby marrows, cake, courgette, cream cheese, frosting, icing, loaf, marrow, teatime, walnuts, zucchini

This is a wonderful, light anytime cake that’s not too sweet. Excellent way to use up all those giant courgettes from the garden!

It can be eaten plain or with a cream cheese lemon frosting, which bumps it up to the next level.

Ingredients:

• 200g (7 oz) grated courgette
• 150g (5 oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 125ml (4 fl oz) vegetable oil
• 200g (7 oz) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 8 walnuts, chopped roughly

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 160C / 325F
Grease a loaf tin
In a bowl, beat together the courgette, sugar, egg and oil
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder
Stir in the cinnamon, lemon zest and walnuts
Stir the flour mixture into the courgette mixture just until blended
Pour the batter into the prepared tin
Bake 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean
Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
Enjoy!

For a cream cheese frosting:
Mix together 1 packet Philadelphia cream cheese, 225g / 8oz, with 3 tablespoons mascarpone
Add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon and/or zest
Blend well with 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
Voila!

 

Endive, Roquefort and walnut salad

Tags

classic french, endives, roquefort, salad, walnut oil, walnuts

I think that this must be one of my favourite winter salads, it’s so delicate, and has such a wonderful, just lightly bitter flavor, I just can’t resist.The crunchy endive with fresh walnuts, creamy yet strong tasting Roquefort all dressed in a fragrant walnut oil – yum! This is a classic bistro salad if ever there was one. Usually served as a starter or even a main course but it is not a side salad. Make sure you have a soft and creamy Roquefort and not a dry and crumbly one. Due to the cheese being salty, I do not add salt to this salad. I also was lucky enough to use walnuts from our trees that we harvested in October (we still have heaps).  Feel free to toast them if you wish but I used them fresh.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Belgian endives, about 6
1 cup / 120g organic walnut halves
180g / 6oz Roquefort, crumbled
4 tablespoons / 60ml walnut oil

Preparation:

Wash and dry the endives, remove 2cm / 1″ from the stem end of each endive, discard the core, and cut the rest across into 2cm /1″ chunks (do not use the very bottom hard bits)
Place the leaves in a large salad bowl
Add the walnuts and the crumbled Roquefort
Combine the lemon juice with the oil and pepper and whisk to blend
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss
Serve immediately
Bon Appétit!

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