Dessert

Pomegranate and Rose Geranium Granita (sorbet)

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Pomegranates are just coming to season and they are delicious, although not easy to peel. Later in the season I will probably juice our garden’s pomegranates, but throughout the summer I use the pure, local, thick pomegranate juice we buy frozen on Kea. It has a somewhat tart and tannic taste and no added sugar or anything else. Taste the pomegranate juice you get and adjust the proportions of simple syrup accordingly.

 

We love the aroma of rose geranium, of which we have plenty in the garden. It is traditionally used it in the quince preserves, but also add it in our fig jam.  The pomegranate juice has plenty of flavor but no fragrance so by adding rose geranium leaves you get a great aromatic granita. Some liqueur or vodka is essential, we think, making the frozen dessert much more complex and easier to serve.

 

Makes 10-16 servings (more…)

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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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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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Galatopita, Milk Pie

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The exact recipe for this wonderful and quite simple pie from Thessaly was given to me by the late Loula Baimpa, Costas’ aunt, one of the best cooks I have ever encountered. I deeply regret that I failed to record more recipes and advice from her!

 

galatopita

I suggest you make the custard 1-2 days in advance, let it cool and refrigerate. Assemble and bake the pie a couple of hours before you start serving the meal, so that you can bring the pie to the table while still warm.

 

For a deep 9-inch pie dish, 8-10 servings (more…)

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