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M’Hanncha

Posted on Posted in Morocco, Traditional .

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M’Hanncha

I can’t remember where I saw this dessert but a flavour pairing of almonds, rosewater and chocolate sounded quite interesting indeed. As I am always up for trying another cultures traditional sweet treats this gem had my name written all over it to at least trial with the hope it would be super delicious and worth the effort.

M’hanncha is a traditional Moroccan sweet treat that gets its weird name from its interesting looking shape. In Arabic, unsurprisingly, ‘m’hanncha’ means snake. Thus the dessert’s structure and make holds true to its name as it resembles a coiled snake.

For me this recipe is not as sweet as I would have liked, however the 20 people that taste tested deemed it thoroughly enjoyable (I do have a very sweet tooth also..).

Outcome – an appealing and very interesting textured dessert thanks to the almond meal.

M'hanncha

Ingredients:

  • 90g butter, melted
  • 200g ground almonds
  • ½ tsn almond essence
  • 90g icing sugar
  • 1 + 1/2 tsn rosewater
  • 65g grated dark chocolate
  • 6 filo pastry sheets
  • 75g butter, melted, extra
  • 1 lightly beaten egg
  • ½ tsn ground cinnamon

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c and line a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Combine the butter, almond meal, essence, sugar, rosewater and chocolate in a bowl, stir.
  3. Divide the mix into 3 long logs to the length of 5cm less than the longer size of the filo sheet.
  4. Brush 1 sheet of pasty with the extra butter and place a 2nd sheet on top, brush 2nd sheet with butter.
  5. Place a log ontop of the pastry, long end ways, 5cm from end (2.5cm per side) thus a leaving 2.5cm boarder on the short end.
  6. Roll the pastry tight to enclose the log,
  7. Repeat with the remaining pastry, butter and logs for 2 more pastry rolls.
  8. Pinch one end of one pastry log to seal it. This will be the centre of the coil. On the base of the lined spring form cake tin start the coiling into the spiral shape, from centre outwards.
  9. Once you have rolled the pastry log into a tight spiral brush with the egg to join the next log.
  10. Continue adding the logs end to end in the spiral pattern and using the egg to seal.
  11. Brush the whole dessert with the egg and top with the cinnamon.
  12. Clip the cake tin sides to the cake tin base to ensure the spring form pan is secure.
  13. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden on colour.
  14. Once cooled dust with icing sugar and serve.

 

Notes:

  • You can use oil spray if you don’t want to use the extra melted butter on the filo pastry.
  • If you don’t have a spring form cake pan that is fine you will just have to be careful picking up the coiled pastry and ensuring it’s tightly coiled then placing it into a cake tray on baking paper.
  • Be gentle when coiling the pastry as you don’t want to have too much of a heavy hand and tear. If this occurs you can just remove the pastry and start with 2 new fresh filo pieces.

 

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Chamomile Floral Spice Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Chamomile Floral Cake recipe

Tea is a common flavor enhancer I use in my baking, Jasmine, Early Grey, Melbourne Breakfast and Green have been featured in my past recipes to name a few.

However, chamomile has only been in 1 of my recipes and not as a feature ingredient (check out my amazing Hazelnut Cake with Spiced Syrup recipe) so when I came up with the idea of doing a floral cake this was the perfect opportunity to use the lovely flower as they hero ingredient.

By combining rose, orange blossom, chamomile and lavender I created a beautifully fragrance-kissed cake that by no means taste like soap! The inclusion of spices compliments the chamomile and offsets the floral sweetness.

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 450g honey
  • 2 tsn grated orange zest
  • 1 tsn grated lemon zest
  • 3 chamomile tea bags
  • 450g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsn ground mixed spice
  • ½ tsn ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsn ground ginger
  • 160g brown sugar
  • 180ml cooking oil
  • 1 tsn rosewater essence
  • 1 + 1/2 tsn orange blossom water
  • 4 eggs

Syrup:

  • 25g butter
  • 40g sugar
  • 100ml water

Icing:

  • 500g cream cheese
  • 140g icing sugar
  • 1 tsn grated lemon zest
  • Pinch ground lavender (optional)

Extra:

  • Chamomile dried flowers

 

Method:

  1. Place the honey and zest into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until boiling.
  2. Add the tea bags to the honey mix and stir.
  3. Leave the mix aside for 30 minutes, stirring each few minutes. Remove the tea bags.
  4. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
  5. Sift the flour, spices and sugar into a bowl and stir to combine.
  6. Add the oil to the honey mix and stir.
  7. Pour the honey mix into the flour mix and using a hand whisk beat until well combined.
  8. Add the eggs, essence and blossom water and beat with the hand whisk until well combined.
  9. Pour the mix evenly between both cake tins and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack until cooled.
  11. Place the icing ingredients into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 5 minutes or until fluffy and light.
  12. Cut the cooled cakes in half.
  13. Meanwhile to make the syrup place the butter, water and sugar into a pan and heat on high stirring continuously until the mix is bubbling and slightly thickens.
  14. Take the syrup off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  15. Using a pastry brush brush the top of 3 cakes on cut side with the syrup leaving the best non cut side layer aside.
  16. Place one cake on a plate and top with ¼ of the icing, repeat with all layers and top with the remaining ¼ icing,
  17. Dirty ice the cake by going around the sides and removing any extra icing.
  18. Top with edible rose pedals and chamomile flowers.

 

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes

Posted on Posted in Cupcakes .

Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes

Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

Watermelon would have to be one of my favorite fruits, just ahead of cherries and strawberries. To compliment the watermelon flavour I opted for a pairing with strawberries and to top off the floral delicate flavours the addition of rosewater.

As I have made a cake with watermelon previously (see my Couscous Strawberry and Watermelon Cake) I decided to make cupcakes this time with my never fail amazing cupcake recipe as a base.

Outcome, a rich, moist, melt in your mouth cupcake that is packed with flavour in every bite!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 220g cake flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn soda
  • 1/8 tsn salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 200g sugar
  • 1 tsn strawberry essence
  • 1 tsn rosewater essence
  • 120ml butter
  • 160g strawberry jam
  • 80ml buttermilk
  • 120ml watermelon reduction (1.2kg watermelon flesh required for recipe inc. icing)

Icing:

  • 60g watermelon reduction
  • 60g butter
  • ½ tsn strawberry essence
  • 200g icing sugar

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line a 16-space cupcake tin with patty cases.
  2. Spray the cases slightly with oil spray.
  3. Cut watermelon and place 1.2kg of flesh into a food processor. Blitz until liquefied.
  4. Pour the mix into a large saucepan and simmer on medium until the liquid reduces down to 200ml.
  5. Pass the reduction through a sieve to catch the seeds and unwanted flesh, set aside.
  6. In a small bowl sieve the flour, powder, soda and salt. Repeat 2 more times.
  7. In another bowl beat the eggs until light and fluffy with electric beaters for 2 minutes.
  8. Slowly add the sugar while beating.
  9. Add the essence and beat to combine.
  10. Add the butter slightly melted as well as the jam and beat.
  11. Place 120ml of the watermelon reduction and the buttermilk in a bowl and stir to combine.
  12. Add half the reduction buttermilk mix to the batter and beat until combine. Add half the flour mix and beat. Repeat with remaining buttermilk mix and flour mix until well combine.
  13. Pour the batter into the patty cases to ¾ full and place in the oven for 15 minutes of until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  14. Meanwhile make the icing by placing 50g of the remaining watermelon reduction, butter, strawberry essence and icing in a bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
  15. Once the cupcakes have cooked leave on a cooling rack.
  16. When the cupcakes are at room temperature place the icing in a piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe and enjoy.
Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Aish El Saraya

Posted on Posted in Lebanese, Traditional .

Aish El Saraya

Aish El Saraya recipe

My father is a big Bread and Butter Pudding fan. As his birthday was coming up I wanted to find some special and different pudding recipes to make for him.

After doing a bit of research and some baking of other countries versions of this dessert I came across Aish El Saraya.

”Aish el Saraya” is a famous Lebanese dessert that is traditionally cooked for Ramadan, holydays and fete days (etc ‘Eid ul-Fitr). This puddings title means ”the bread of royal palace” hence the baking taking place for special occassions.

The dessert is and light, eggless, bread & custard based rose pistachio treat.

Think bread and butter pudding texture with a Turkish delight flavour.

 

Ingredients:

Pudding:

  • 6 slices bread
  • 310ml milk
  • 60g sugar
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 50g corn flour
  • 1 + ¼ tsn rosewater essence
  • 1 + ¼ tsn lemon juice
  • 50g shelled pistachios
  • ¼ tsn lemon zest

Syrup:

  • 85g sugar
  • 70g water
  • 2 + ½ tsn lemon juice
  • 2 tsn rosewater essence

Method:

  1. Toast the bread and cut off the crusts.
  2. Line a 20cm x 25cm slice tin with baking paper.
  3. Lay the bread into the base of the tray and cut to ensure a snug fit and no overlap.
  4. To make the syrup place the sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until boiling.
  5. Turn the temperature to medium and stir for 5 minutes until the syrup has slightly thickened.
  6. Take off the heat, stir in the rosewater essence and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  7. Pour the syrup over the bread and evenly coat each slice.
  8. To make the custard place the milk, sugar, cream, flour and lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat.
  9. Whisk with a hand whisk for 5 minutes or until the custard thickens and is silky smooth.
  10. Add the rosewater essence and whisk.
  11. Pass the custard through a sieve and pour over the bread.
  12. Tap the tin on the bench 5 times to remove any air bubbles and place in the fridge overnight.
  13. Before serving finely dice the pistachios and scatter over the top on the pudding.
  14. Scatter the lemon zest over the top.
  15. Remove out of the tin and slice evenly, serve.

Aish El Saraya recipe

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Semolina Spiced Mini Cakes

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes .

Semolina Spiced Mini Cakes

Semolina Spiced Mini Cakes recipe

Recently I have been playing a lot with syrups for cakes, which has resulted in quite some playing with a variation of spices and essence (some I am familiar with and some not so much).

One of the syrups I made up was so amazing that I decided to create a cake purely based on the key spices and essence.

After thinking about what cake foundations would best hold and complement my new favourite spices and essences I ended up deciding on a semolina (almost polenta) cake.

It did take me 3 tries to get to this final recipe:

Attempt 1 –  was to produce a thin syrup, which just overtook the cake and flooded it.

Attempt 2 – was to make the syrup more of a caramel consistency, almost to a praline level. This just didn’t suit the cake, it needed to have an ‘icing’ element that would work with the strong spices and tone down the sickly sweetness.

Attempt 3 –I gave up on the syrup idea and decided that this cake would be best eaten with ice-cream and cream as it would work wonders with the strong moist richness of the cake. Therefore whipped up some cream and success!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 180g butter
  • 1 tsn vanilla
  • 1 tsn cinnamon
  • 1 tsn cardamom
  • ½ tsn star anise
  • 6 threads of saffron
  •  ½ tsn rosewater essence
  • 240g natural yoghurt
  • 1 cup semolina
  • ½ cup self raising flour
  • ½ tsn baking powder

Topping:

  • 300g cream
  • 2 + ½ tbsn icing sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and fill 2 x 12 cupcake tin trays with cupcake liners/cases.
  2. Using electric beaters beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, rosewater, saffron diced and star anise until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the yoghurt, semolina, flour and baking powder and beat until the mix is just combine.
  4. Spoon the mix into the 24 cupcake patties.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cakes from the tin and place on a cooling tray until cold.
  7. Meanwhile to make the topping whip the cream and sugar in a bowl with electric beaters until peaks form.
  8. Using a piping bag and star nozzle pipe the cream on the top of the cold cake.
  9. Remove the cakes from the patty cases and sprinkle with a little cinnamon on top.

 

Notes:

  • I have decorated the cakes with a sugar almond on top.

 

Semolina Spiced Mini Cakes recipe

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Semolina Spiced Mini Cakes recipe

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Kahlua and Butterscotch schnapps Cake

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Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

In the background of my baking that you don’t see I have actually been trying to bake with Grapefruit with 5 attempts now. This sweet but sour citrus fruit is being very difficult with me.

I’ve trialed biscuits, slice and cakes in the past but this time FINALLY after much research with Grapefruit flavour parings and textures I have come home with the goods!

Who would have though that to complement and tone down the sourness of the fruit the best combo to Grapefruit is Pistachio, Ginger, Lemon and Rosewater…say what?

Seriously this cake is one not to pass on. With it’s Middle Eastern influence and European taste I dare anyone to produce a higher quality tasting Grapefruit cake!

 

Ingredients:

  • 160g shelled, unsalted pistachios
  • 150g butter
  • 135g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tsn rosewater essence (equivalent to 3tbsn rosewater)
  • 2tbsn milk
  • 2 tbsn lime juice
  • 1 Grapefruit zest (or 4 tsn zest)
  • 1+1/2 tsn ground ginger
  • 240g self raising flour
  • 1 tbsn bicarbonate of soda

For the grapefruit syrup:

  • 1 grapefruit
  • 110g water
  • 2 tsn rosewater essence
  • 90g caster sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a 23cm spring form baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Place 135g of the pistachios in a food processor and process until finely ground.
  3. Roughly chop up the remaining 25g pistachios and reserve for the top for decorations.
  4. Using electric beaters beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  5. Add in the eggs, beating in between each addition until pale and creamy.
  6. Add the rosewater essence, milk, lime juice and zest beating in between each addition.
  7. In a separate bowl combine the ground pistachios, flour, bicarb and ginger whisking to mix. Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid mix.
  8. Using a spatula folder the dry ingredients into the wet until combine then pour into the cake tin.
  9. Bake in the oven for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. To make the grapefruit syrup squeeze the juice of the grapefruit through a sieve and into a pan with the water, rosewater essence and sugar and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved.
  11. Increase the heat and boil for 2 mins until the liquid resembles a thin syrup.
  12. Using a skewer make holes all over the surface of the cake then pour the syrup over the top of the cake evenly.
  13. Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin.
  14. Once cold remove the cake from the tin and scatter with the remaining pistachio pieces.

 

Notes:

  • You will need 1 whole grapefuit for this recipe.
  • This cake is best served warm.
  • Serve with a scoop on ice-cream, yum!

 

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

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Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

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Maamool

Posted on Posted in Arabic, Traditional .

 Maamool

Maamool recipe

In my constant exploring and investigating for amazing worldly sweet treats I came across the Maamool biscuit (or Ma’amoul). These biscuits are Arabic traditional small shortbread pastries filled with dates or nuts.

As they are popular in so many courtiers (etc Lebanon, the Middle East and North Arica) you can imagine there are many varying recipes, particularly when it comes to the actually biscuit (cookie) dough. So I started comparing and researching recipes until I identified a few that seems to be quite consistent in ingredients and methods.

These biscuits are not my usual sweet treat fix as they are not very sweet but the fact they are predominately used for religious festivals was very interesting to me. Muslims eat these treats during holidays, and Arabic-speaking Christians eat them at Easter. So to have this much importance to cultures made me really keen to make them myself.

In my option below is the easiest and tastiest biscuit recipe (which I’ve adapted) and 2 filling options (also adapted), though the date one is by far the tastier.

Maamool recipe

Ingredients:

Biscuit dough:

  • 4.5 cups fine semolina
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups butter, melted
  •  4 tsp orange blossom water
  •  4 tsp rose water
  • 1/4 water

Date Filling:

  • 2 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsn orange blossom water
  • 2 tsn rose water

Nut Filling

  • 2 cups almond (or walnuts / pistachios)
  • 100g sugar
  • 2 tsn orange blossom water
  • 2 tsn rose water

 

Method:

  1. Mix all the dough ingredients together in a bowl, massaging with slightly wet hands until the mix is combined well.
  2. Knead for 5 minutes to form a soft ball.
  3. Leave mixture in a bowl covered overnight (or at least 5 hours) to rest. This will allow the semolina to swell and soften up.
  4. After the mix has been left overnight line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 175c.
  5. If your making the date mix:
    1. Prepare the date filling by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir on low until the dates are softened and the ingredients are combining.
    2. Place in a food processor and process until the mix is smooth then form into small balls (the size or a 5 cent piece or 15g).
  6. If your making the nut mix:
    1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to semi-coarse consistency.
    2. Using your hands massage the ingredients together until well combined.
  7. Roll dough into 30g sized balls the size of golf balls.
  8. Stuff the cookies by place your finger in the middle to form a hole in the ball and place the date balls inside / or spoon 15g of the nut mixture inside.
  9. Gently close up dough ball and seal and roll to be a ball again.
    1. If you are using the traditional Maamool mold place the ball into the mold and gently pat down to mold. Tap the mold onto a bench to remove the biscuit.
  10. Place Maamool onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until just about to get a little brown.
  11. Once cooled sift icing sugar onto the Maamool.

 

Notes:

  • Maamoul’s can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week, in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 weeks or can be frozen for up to 3 months. The airtight container is important as without it they will go dry.
  • You can also use a metal cookie cutter instead of the mold.
  • You can flour the mold and tap out excess flour if you are worried about the dough sticking.
  • You can place a design on the top with a folk if you are not using a mold.
  • These biscuits don’t rise so 1cm apart if perfectly fine.
  • If the dough is crumbly you have used too much butter.
  • If you have used too little butter or you over-bake they will be crunchy and crack.

Maamool recipe

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Baklava

Posted on Posted in Traditional, Turkey .

baqklava

Baklava

Similar to the other international traditional dishes I have blogged about this one as well has many different variations, which I have explored and found my favorite.

 

Ingredients:

  • 160g blanched almonds
  • 140 shelled pistachios
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsn ground cloves
  • 1 tsn ground nutmeg
  • 18 filo pastry sheets
  • 75g butter

Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 220g white sugar
  • 90g cup honey
  • 1 + ½ tsn rosewater

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c and grease a 22cm square cake tin.
  2. Process the nuts and spices until finely chopped.
  3. Spread the nut mix onto a tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  4. Increase the oven temprature to 200c.
  5. Cut the pastry sheets to fit the base on the tin. Layer 3 pastry sheets brushing each layer with butter. Place this in the tin and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the nut mix.
  6. Repeat pervious step ending with 3 sheets of pastry.
  7. Using a knife, cut the baklava into quarters, then each square diagonally, then the triangles in half.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 150c and bake for another 10 minutes.
  9. Now make the syrup by stirring all the ingredients in a saucepan on medium until the sugar dissolves.
  10. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave without stirring for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  11. Once the Baklava is cooked pour the syrup over the pastry. Once the Baklava is cooled serve.

baklava2

 

 

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