Aegeaneating

Caramel cream flan or creme brulee are variations of creme caramel.

A very classical but also elegant pudding type dessert, which was very popular during the last century.

for the caramel:

Boil sugar and water together in a small pan without stirring until the syrup thickens and caramelises.

Pour the caramel while still hot to 6 creme caramel moulds(ramekins).

for the creme :

Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add vanilla. Pour milk and beat them until well combined. Finally add lemon zest.

Pour the mixture to 6 ramekins.

Place the ramekins into a pressure cooker. Pour water into the cooker until it reaches halfway of the moulds, but be careful not to get water into the ramekins. (Bain-Marie method)

Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the ramekins and set aside to cool.

Run a knife around the edge of the ramekins and turn out onto a serving plate. Refrigerate.

As we welcome winter, we are seduced by sweet cakes to get extra energy. This very easy to do raisin cake keeps really well, for that reason I generally make it a day in advance. Before serving, you can warm the cake by setting it in a 100° C oven for 10 minutes.

• 3 eggs
• 2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup ground almonds (blanched)
• 1/4 cup walnuts (coarsely crushed)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 T raisin (yellow coloured)
• 2 T cognac

Beat together eggs and sugar. Add olive oil, milk and vanilla extract. Sift flour and baking powder and add it to the mixture. Put the ground almonds, the crushed walnuts and raisin. Pour 2 T cognac and stir together until smooth.

Spoon into a greased tin. Bake 40 minutes at 180° C pre-heated oven until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Serve warm or leave to cool.

With every falling rain, the mushrooms under the trees give off their excellent scent. The Autumn leaves fall one by one to the ground. Very soon we will welcome winter, even if we still did not given up on summer! We should be careful what we are eating as the season is changing.

I think pastry with mushroom is a great appetizer for this period.

For the filling:

Cut strips of the filo about 10 cm wide. Place some filling at one end. Fold the sides a bit inside, so the filling doesn’t drop out. Roll like a cigarette till the end. Dribble hazelnut oil and milk over all.

For garnishing:              

 

Brownies are the most popular anytime every-time desserts. Perfect with a scoop of ice cream or clotted cream on top.

In a bowl stir sugar, eggs and extra virgin olive oil. Add flour, baking powder and cocoa. At this point, add gradually milk. Mix chopped walnuts and spread to a greased bake pan. Bake in 180° C pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes.

This is a popular and classical Mediterranean cake! The original recipe has egg in its ingredient. But in order not to consume uncooked egg, I re adapted my mom’s recipe as below.

The chocolate salami or mosaic cake can be stored in the freezer for a last minute dessert and is good to have on hand for unexpected guests, like our moms did.

Melt the couverture chocolate with bain-marie method. If you don?t have a bain-marie chocolate machine simply put water in a thick bottom pan. Inside this pan place another pan with the couverture chocolate.  Chocolate needs to be melted at a low temperature. Do not let chocolate over heat.

Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pin. Do not crumb. Put them in a large bowl. Add the hazelnuts. Then add melted chocolate, cocoa, grated orange zest and liqueur. Finally blend the mixture with milk. It will be a thick dough.

Lay out a long sheet of kitchen wax paper. Roll the mixture into the wax paper or cling film and shape like a salami.

Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.  Before serving dust with icing sugar or coconut powder. Always keep stored in the freezer.

It goes well with Turkish coffee or with a glass of red wine.