Desserts

Pompe a l’ Huile: Festive Bread from Provence

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Part of the traditional Christmas table in Provence this delicious olive oil bread is supposed to be torn into pieces with the hands and never cut with a knife. Read MORE.

 

BREAD Pompe S

Pompe a l’ Huile is served along with twelve more desserts on Christmas Eve on the festive tables all around the Mediterranean coast of France. The thirteen sweetmeats include various dried fruits –figs, different kinds of grapes, plums etc.—candied pears and apples, as well as oranges and other citrus fruits, cookies and nougat.

 

Makes THREE 12-inch flat breads, or ONE large and 4 small breads (more…)

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My Lemony Pandespáni Cake (a variation of Pan di Spagna, Italian Sponge Cake)

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Pandespani (Pan di Spagna) is used as base for many Italian desserts and festive cakes. Usually it is sprinkled or brushed with liqueur-flavored syrup before the addition of a cream filling. The cake can be stored in the freezer (see Note). Starting from my neighbor Ela’s southern Albanian recipe, which has its roots in the old Italian Pan di Spagna, I added the boiled lemon and the lemon marmalade which lighten the flavor and make the egg-laden cake wonderfully fragrant…

READ more about the cake.

panDespagna cut1a S

MAKES One 8-inch round cake, and 1 small loaf   (more…)

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Kourambiedes – Toasted Almond Cookies

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Traditionally prepared for Christmas, kourambiedes are supposed to be delicate melt-in-the-mouth treats. You find similar cookies in various Middle Eastern countries, often sprinkled with rose water or citrus flower water just before they are rolled in confectioner’s sugar. 

 

Kourabie S

Kourabie zaxari S

The old island recipes called for lard, as butter was not a common ingredient, while the special lard from the belly of the freshly slaughtered pork was used for these, and other festive winter sweets .

In most recipes from the mainland and the north kourambiedes are made with the strongly-flavored sheep’s milk butter, while there are also also somre Lenten versions made with olive oil.

Today most homes and bakeries prepare the cookies exclusively with butter, or a combination of butter, often with some sheep’s milk butter. I do love this old, Cycladic version which you can try if you can get good lard.

 

Makes about 30 large or 40 small cookies. (more…)

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