Baklava Cheesecake, the Best of Two Worlds

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, that's why I wanted to come back with a dessert recipe that kind of justifies my absence. The decision was prompted after Foodies+ community on Google+ announced its theme of the month: food fusion. 

I had a recipe idea in mind but I never made it and I just kept postponing it. The Foodies+ theme was the perfect occasion I have been waiting for.  

The baklava cheesecake is a winning fusion recipe in my book and it does justice to both recipes it is based on. It has all creaminess you would expect from any self-respecting cheesecake and all the nutty crunchiness of baklava. The sugar syrup with its fragrant orange and rose water notes helps of the dessert elements to come together happily!

Balava fillings are nut based. The most common ones are pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios. I could have used any of these for the recipe as they are all delicious, but I used pistachios because I like its subtle flavor and its lovely green color contrasts the cheesecake's pale yellow hues. If you don't like pistachios, you can use the nuts of your choice.  

There are few steps to make this baklava cheesecake; nothing too complicated but it needs a bit more of your time.

 For the base (18cm springform pan) you need: 

• 4 to 8 filo pastry sheets (depending on the size of the sheets)
• 50 g melted butter

First, brush each filo sheet with butter and lay in the greased springform. 

You can simply stack the sheets on top of each other. Alternatively, you can fold each one into thirds, put the first layer in the middle, then put the other folded sheet on top to form a cross and cover the rest of the pan with more folded sheets. 

You need to put enough pastry to cover the pan and have a strong base to hold the cheesecake filling. You can add more sheets if you like but keep it moderate.  Don´t forget to brush each sheet generously with butter, then trim the excess edges but leave some hanging on the sides of the pan.

Bake in a preheated  oven (180C) for about 15 min or until golden brown.

For the syrup:

• 150 g sugar
• 100 g water
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• few drops of lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 2 to 3 dried rose buds (optional) 
• 1 tsp rose water

Combine sugar, water, cinnamon and rose buds, and simmer over a gentle heat. Once the sugar is melted and the mix bubbles, add the lemon juice and simmer for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and add the rose and orange blossom waters.

For the pistachio filling:

• 100 g chopped pistachios
• 30 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (adjust to your taste)
• 15 g syrup 

Mix everything together until you get a wet mixture and spread it over the baked and cooled filo pastry base and set aside.

For the cheesecake filling:

• 600 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 
• 100 g sour cream or thick yogurt
• 120 g sugar
• 1 tbsp corn flour 
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to your liking)
• 15 g of syrup

In your mixer bowl, add the cheese and mix on a low speed with the paddle attachment for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the sugar, the sour cream, cinnamon, salt, syrup, corn flour, rose and orange blossom water and mix again until well blended and no lumps are visible. Add the eggs one by one and keep mixing on a low speed and scrap the sides of the bowl from time to time. 
When everything is combined, pour the batter over the filo and pistachio layer and bake in a preheated oven (150 to 160 C). 

Usually it's customary to wrap the spring-form pan with aluminum foil and place it in another pan filled with warm water and then bake for the required time that is usually for a pan of this size one hour to one hour and a half (oven-dependent).  This bain-marie method of cooking is needed to bake your cake at a gentler heat to avoid surface cracks.

What I do is different though. I put in the middle layer of the oven a pan and fill it with warm water then place the cheesecake pan over a cookie sheet and put both over the pan. This creates  a steamy environment in my oven and allows the cheesecake to cook all the way through while retaining a smooth creamy texture and most importantly with no surface cracks whatsoever.

After one hour, turn off your oven, shake the tray, make sure the middle is still a bit wiggly and leave the oven door cracked open for another half an hour to an hour. 

Let the cake cool completely before you put it in the fridge overnight. 

Decorate to your liking. Slice the cheesecake, drizzle some syrup on top and enjoy! 

Limoncello, a Refreshing Italian Liquor

When life gives you lemons you make tarts, cakes, lemonades and if you are feeling adventurous, you make limoncello! 

I recently got my hands on a lot of organic lemons, and they were more than I needed. However, when you get your hands on good quality organic lemons, you can use them in so many ways. I used most of them to make refreshing pitchers of lemonade to cope with the heat of sunny Spain. 

With the remaining lemons, I wanted to try something that I had never dared to make before and that is liquor. I cannot remember when I first tried limoncello, but I remember that it I loved it instantly. No surprises there, I think I love everything that has lemon in it.  Ever since I was young, I loved eating lemons slices sprinkled with some sea salt, or even eating the pulp of squeezed lemons! 

Naturally, I was excited to try this Southern Italian spirit that was first concocted at the beginning of the previous century. I had always thought that it was complicated to make, but when I read about the process of making it, it seemed pretty straightforward and simple. It only requires four ingredients and some time. 

To make one liter bottle you need:

• The peels of 10 organic lemons (you need only the yellow outer skin and none of the white part)
• 1 bottle of vodka (about 700 ml; use the brand that you prefer)
• simple syrup using 200 g sugar and 220 water

In a jar, combine the peels with the vodka, tightly close the jar and leave it in a dark and dry place for at least 10 days.

All you need to do during the steeping period is to shake the jar once a day. After 10 days, the color of the vodka will take on the beautiful bright yellow color of the peels.

You can prolong the steeping period for up to four weeks, but after ten to fifteen days, the result will be pretty good.

To make the simple syrup, just combine the sugar and with the water and heat for about 10 minutes. You will get around 400 grams of syrup. This will give the liquor the needed sweetness. You can add more if you want, but I don't like it any sweeter.

Now that the vodka has all the flavor and color of the lemons, you need to strain it into a big pitcher, and mix it with the simple syrup. You need to stir well to make sure the syrup is mixed thoroughly. Transfer to a bottle and let it rest in the fridge

for few hours or a day. The recipe will yield a bit more than one liter of limoncello, so you can use a larger bottle if you want or put the rest in cute small bottles.

Limoncello makes a wonderful aperitif or digestif before or after heavy meals. It's also great on its own, mixed in drinks, added to cakes or baked goods. It's such a useful drink to make at home.

Finally, don't discard the lemon peels! You can dry and grind them to make a wonderful spice to add flavor to meringue, cakes, cheesecakes, tarts and just about anything that requires a hit of lemon flavor.

For other lemon recipes click on the following links: ricotta lemon cake, lemon and shortbread cookies, blueberry and lemon popsicles, blueberry lemon and coconut cake, lemon and coconut madeleines, mum's lemonade

Roasted Rhubarb Sorbet

I guess it's a sign of the changes to come, but summers are starting earlier and winters are becoming milder. Climate change debate aside, it has been warmer than usual for the past month here in Madrid.

When it becomes hot, I like to hide indoors whenever possible and indulge in all sorts of cooling foods and drinks. Beer, smoothies, salads, cold soups, ice cream, popsicles, and sorbet are all my go to food and drinks to keep me refreshed.

The star ingredient of this post is not something you find easily here in Spain. You have to fish for it in specialty grocery stores.  This year I was lucky to find a shop not too far from my place that sells rhubarb and I try as much as possible to buy these lovely burgundy stalks.

I bought quite a lot of rhubarb recently with the hope of using them in at least three recipes: jam, galette and a deliciously refreshing sorbet.

The sorbet comes in time to help me ward off the heat. What's more, it takes just a few ingredients to get a light dessert that is gluten and dairy free!

Ready to make some rhubarb sorbet? Let's go. You need:

• 250 g of rhubarb, cut into 2 cm long pieces
• half a vanilla pod 
• a strip of orange peel
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a pan and roast the rhubarb until soft and juicy in a preheated oven (180). It will take about 20 minutes, give or take.

Set aside to cool

While the rhubarb is cooling prepare the syrup

• 150 g water
• 125 gr sugar
• squeeze of half lime
• tbsp of kirsh, vodka or rum (optional, for a softer sorbet)

In a sauce pan combine all the ingredients, and on a gentle heat cook the syrup until it thickens a bit or until it reaches 105C.

Combine the rhubarb and the syrup and process until you get a silky smooth purée.

If you have an ice cream maker, just follow the manufacturer's instructions to make the sorbet. If not you have 2 main options:

1. Pour the rhubarb purée in a shallow dish and put in the freezer. With a fork, scrap the mixture every hour or so to prevent crystallization.  
2. Let the rhubarb purée freeze. Once frozen, transfer the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth.

Now just scoop and enjoy as it is or use it to make a refreshing rhubarb mimosa to enjoy with friends or by yourself!

Melamakarona, a Special Greek Christmas Cookie

On my trips back home from Spain, I used to travel via Athens. During December, the meal served on Greek airlines would include a typical Christmas Greek dessert. I was never sure what the Greeks called this special cookie but I was always sure of its taste! After some fiddling around, I managed to know what this sweet cookie was: melamakarona, the Greek honey cookie.

These yummy cookies feature the best of warm and Christmas flavors: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, oranges and honey.

The name of the dessert reminded me of a famous Levantine dessert: maakaroun. However, maakarouns are made on the feast of the Epiphany. Moreover, alhough they are shaped similarly, maakarouns are fried while melomakaronas are baked.

If you enjoy trying recipes from all over the world, then you should add this recipe to your book of baking. During December, I get a bit more active in trying out various recipes from all over the world and I will leave the links at the end of the post of some of what I tried.

Now let´s make some melomakaronas. For 25 to 28 pieces you need:

• 250 g flour
• 50 g fine semolina
• 50 g brown sugar
• 1/2 or 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp of baking soda and 1/8 tsp of baking powder
• dash of salt
• zest of half an orange
• 100 g mild olive oil
• 100 g orange juice
• 5 to 10 g brandy

For the syrup:

• 150 g water
• 200 g sugar
• 100 g honey
• 2 to 3 cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• one thick slice of orange

First, start by making the syrup. In a sauce pan, combine all the ingredients but the honey . Put on a gentle flame and simmer for about 5 minutes. When the sugar dissolves completely, add the honey and simmer again for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To make the cookies, combine the wet ingredients: olive oil, orange juice and brandy and stir.In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients and mix well. Now add the wet ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a soft and manageable dough.

Leave it to rest for 20 minutes.

Now take about 20 g of the dough, shape into a ball or sausage shape and gently pass it over a grater to create the shape of the melomakarona. Place the shaped cookies over a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven (180C) for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven dip them in the cool syrup. Remove from the syrup and place them on a rack to let them drain. Once they cool sprinkle some chopped walnuts and  you are done!

The cookies can be served alone or with a warm cup of tea or dark coffee. They are deeply scented by all those wonderful spices, honey and oranges and go so well these hot comforting beverages.

With every bite I took into the melamakarona, I was transported to a different spot in Greece, a country that I love dearly and visited many times. Now it's up you to travel the world through sweets, and if you're short on ideas, why not travel to Greece like I did? I promise, you will enjoy every moment of it! 

To check other christmas recipes click on the following links: here, here, here, here and here

Kunafeh, the Middle East's Favorite Cheese Delight!

It's about time to share with you one of my favorite recipes ever. It´s not only delicious but also has a special place in my heart.

Sometimes we feel strongly towards a dish or a dessert not just because it tastes great but because it brings back memories we cherish. Kunafeh/knafeh/knefeh, whichever way you want to pronounce it, has a special place in my heart because of all the wonderful memories I associate with it.

During Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday), I would always wake up in anticipation knowing that my parents would bring home the most delicious, sweet and creamy knefeh enough for the whole family with much to spare for the following day. I also remember the many Saturdays I spent with my brother making all the necessary knefeh preparations and how anxious we would be the following Sunday to savor the labor of our efforts. But it's not just family memories that knefeh brings back, I recall the many times I had this treat drenched in thick syrup while strolling the streets with my friends. Kneffeh was our go-to sweet treat, breakfast or brunch. Such sweet and wonderful memories!
Knefeh is not just a dessert for me, it's part of my identity and cultural background.

After this short trip down memory lane, let me tell you that this dish is one of the most popular ones in the Middle East, if not the most popular. It is most commonly eaten as breakfast but it's just as good as a treat any time of the day. It's not uncommon for people to bring a whole platter of knefeh to friends and families during festive times as the rich dessert that stand up to an even richer lunch.

There are many variants to kneffeh and every city and even every maker seems to have his own rendition of the basic recipe. I do think that all variations are good and they make this dish even more special. All variations of kneffe share the same basics: a layer of buttery dough covering or topping a creamy melted cheese layer and sweetened with simple syrup. Knefeh is best served warm as it loses much in flavor and texture when it's cold.

I should mention that knefeh is made with a special kind of cheese that is very difficult to find in Madrid. I used the cheeses that are easier to find and can give you the closest taste and texture to the real thing.

The one I´m sharing today is called knefeh khechne (or coarse knefeh) as the kataifi dough is cut into small pieces and not ground. The soft knefeh demands some extra work but I hope I will share this version with you too!

To make enough coarse knefeh for four persons you need:

• 250 g kataifi dough
• 150 g mozzarella
• 150 ricotta cheese
• 80 g clarified butter (melted and milk solids removed)
• soft butter to brush the tray (about 20 g)
• orange powdered food coloring (optional)

For the syrup you need:

• 200 g sugar
• 100 g water
• small cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1 bruised cardamom pod (optional)
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp orange blossom water.

Start by making the syrup. Combine sugar, water, cardamom and cinnamon in a saucepan, and let the sugar melt completely on a low heat. When the mixture starts bubbling add the lemon juice and let it simmer for an extra minute. Turn off the heat and add the rose and orange blossom water. Never add the orange and rose water while the mix is still bubbling as you will lose their delicate flavor.

Now let's tackle the dough. In a food processor shred the kataifi into tiny little pieces. Place the dough in a big bowl and add the clarified butter. With your hands, mix well until the butter has covered all the small shreds.

Now, butter an 18 cm pan, really generously, add a pinch of the food coloring if using, and with a brush spread with the butter making sure to cover the sides of the pan. Add  about 2/3 of the dough and cover the tray, press well to have 1/2 cm thick dough on all sides, (making sure the sides are about 1 cm higher).

Mix the cheeses in a bowl and mash them together. Place the bowl in a fridge if you don't want to bake the knefeh immediately.  Do take the cheese mix out of the fridge for a while when you are ready to bake.

All of the previous steps can be made the night ahead in case you want things to be easier for you the day you want to serve the knefeh.

When you´re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the pan in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until you see that the sides have changed color. Add the cheese mix and put back in the oven  for 5 to 7 minutes. When the cheese starts to melt take the pan out of the oven and cover the cheese with the remaining kataifi dough.

At this point, it is usual to flip the kenefeh on a bigger pan, put the pan into the oven and bake it till it has a nice golden color. However, I find it easier to put the pan in the middle rack and turn the broiler on for 5 minutes or until the dough is of a beautiful golden color.

To serve, you need to take out the knefeh from the pan. The process is very similar to how you would remove a tarte tatin from its baking pan. Place the serving platter on top of the pan making sure that the platter is larger than the pan. With a quick motion flip the pan and platter. Tap gently on the pan and the knefeh should fall easily on the platter.

Decorate with grated pistachios, dried rose petal and serve with the warm syrup!

I hope you give this recipe a try, it´s absolutely delicious. A crunchy dough holding  a gooey rich cheese mix all tied together and sweetened with an aromatic syrup, perfection!

Super Easy Sweet Canapés!

Each month the Google plus community foodiesplus selects a special theme and for August canapés were featured. Canapés are ideal if you are entertaining a small group of friends or a large crowd during special occasions.
In addition to being elegant, they are extremely versatile and can be either savory or sweet. Canapés are fun to make and can be miniaturized versions of main dishes.
Personally, I decided to make sweet canapés featuring delicious summer fruits in addition to being a snap to make.

The ingredients I used are pretty common and easy to find. Additionally, the combinations you can make are quite flexible and you can alter ingredients according to your liking.

So to make these little beauties you need:

• mini toasts
• cream cheese
• strawberries, blackberries and flat peach
• honey and maple syrup
• rosemary, lavender and pecans for garnish
• chocolate spread

Prepare the fruits by cutting the peaches and the strawberries into thin slices; of course the blackberries are left whole.
The cream cheese should be removed a bit ahead of time from the fridge to make it more spreadable. You can mix the cheese with the maple syrup or honey or you can drizzle them later on the canapés. 

To assemble, spread the cream cheese or chocolate spread in reasonable amounts and layer the fruits on top. Drizzle the maple syrup or honey on top, if you haven't mixed them into the cream cheese.

I used the following combinations:

• Chocolate spread, strawberries and garnished with rosemary leaves
• Cream cheese, blackberries, maple syrup and garnished with a bit of crushed pecans.
• Cream cheese, peaches, honey and garnished with a bit of lavender flowers.

You can play with these combinations as you want, but I do feel these flavors work best together. 

Next time you have friends coming over and you're short on time, these canapés will be a life saver. Enjoy!

A creamy Pavlova with summer fruits.

In my last post I made a sumptuously creamy creme brulée which left me with lots of egg whites! This isn't really a problem as egg whites are extremely versatile, but whenever I have a large batch of whites I almost always like to make a meringue-based recipe. The end result is a recipe that can always be tweaked to suit individual taste. Having this in mind, perhaps the best way to make use of these egg whites is to prepare a delicious Pavlova.

Making a Pavlova seems complicated, but in reality, if you know how to make a meringue, you know how to make a Pavlova. Moreover, a Pavlova is really a fun recipe. With the same base you can create endless combinations of cream and fruit toppings. This time, the creamy layer I opted for is made from mascarpone cheese sweetened with maple syrup. Add some fresh fruits and you have a summary and gluten free dessert. Replace the mascarpone or whipped cream with vegetarian whipped cream and you will have a gluten and lactose free recipe. 


So let's get started.

For 5 mini pavlovas (10cm), you need:

• 90 g egg whites at room temperature
• 150 g super fine white sugar
• few drops of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of white vinegar
• 1 tsp of cornflour 
• the beans of one vanilla pod
• dash of salt.

First start whipping the egg whites at low speed with the salt, lemon, vanilla and vinegar, increase the speed slowly, when the whites are frothy start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Keep beating until the sugar has dissolved and you have a stiff and shiny meringue!

Now scatter the corn flour over the meringue and with a spatula gently incorporate to the batter. You can pass the flour through a sieve to make sure the flour won't create lumps in the meringue.

Cover a baking sheet with baking paper to be ready to form the mini pavlovas. Some like to delimit with a pencil a circle on the back of the baking paper as a guide when forming the cakes and this what I usually do to get a perfect circle. 

Spoon just enough meringue over the baking sheet to make a nice serving size and then flatten with a spatula but do make sure that the edges are higher so as to have a central depression which you can fill with the cream and fruits after the meringue is baked. Alternatively, you can use a pipping bag to form more elegant and uniform meringues but just make sure to pipe more meringue over the edges to elevate them in comparison to the center.

Bake the pavlovas in a preheated over (between 100 and 120C) for at least an hour. They will be ready when they are firm to touch and they can be detached easily from the baking paper. Leave them to cool off completely before using them.

For the mascarpone cream, you need:

• 200 g mascarpone (at room temperature)
• a tbsp spoon of maple syrup (just enough to sweeten the cheese, remember the pavlovas are really sweet)
• use any king of fruits you like for topping, I used strawberries and cherries
• grated dark chocolate

I added some balsamic vinegar to the strawberries, but you can use them as they are. Mix the cheese with the maple and spoon over  the baked meringue. Finally, add the fruits and the chocolate and you are ready to enjoy a delicate, creamy, light and delicious dessert!

Torrijas, a Typical Spanish Dessert

Spain buzzes with so many recipes during Easter time, but if there is one that you will surely find everywhere it would be Torrijas or ¨Spanish French toast¨!

Although you may find the dessert in some places all year long, but it´s in the Lent season that you find it just about everywhere, either in cafés, restaurants or in bakeries.

In modern times, many chefs have been really creative with this traditional dessert, adding more flavors to the basic recipe or making up fancy sauces to go along with it. However, the traditional version is still the Spaniards' favorite.This is a really simple recipe that requires only a few basic ingredients; you can't go wrong with it!

Now let´s make some torrijas. For 6 to 8 servings you need:

• 1 baguette or torrija bread (it´s widely available in Spain but I'm not sure if it is easy to get by elsewhere)
• 500 ml milk
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• A piece of lemon rind
• 50 g sugar
• 1 xl large egg or 2 small ones
• A pinch of salt, dash of cinnamon and a bit of lemon zest for the egg
• Olive oil for frying

For the honey syrup you need:

• 3 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of water

First you need to cut the bread into 2 or 3 cm thick pieces. In a saucepan, combine milk, cinnamon stick, lemon rind and sugar. Let them simmer gently and once you can smell the cinnamon and lemon turn off the heat. Let the milk cool slightly and you´re ready to soak the bread pieces. While the bread is soaking, whisk the egg with the salt, cinnamon and lemon zest. You don't need to overbeat the eggs, you just wanted all the ingredients to be well combined.

When the bread has absorbed the milk, coat it in the egg mixture, fry the torrijas until golden on both sides!

Traditionally, the bread is fried in lots of oil, however, I didn't want the torrijas to be too greasy, so I used only two tablespoons of olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. I wouldn't put less because you really need the oil to give the golden color that torrijas are known for.

Remove the golden pieces of bread from the oil and drain the excess on a paper towel.

Prepare in advance the syrup by simply combining all of its ingredients and letting them simmer over a gentle heat until all the sugar is dissolved into the honey. 

Serve the fried and drained torrijas with a healthy drizzle of the honey syrup. Adjust the amount of syrup to your liking!

Torrijas are great for breakfast, or a perfect companion for your afternoon coffee or tea! Do try this recipe and make it for your family or friends this Easter which I hope will be a very happy one for all of you.