Recepti

Pavarotti's Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 hot water
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling and frosting

• 3 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 8 oz chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups Nutella
• 2 teaspoons  instant espresso powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts,ground
• 4 oz mascarpone 
• 4 oz butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Syrup:

• 1/2 cup black coffee

Directions

1. Cake: Heat oven to 350°F(175C). 
2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt at medium speed until blended. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Gradually beat egg mixture into flour mixture, about 5 minutes. Shift mixer to low speed; add hot water until blended. Pour batter into pan. Bake until toothpick comes out of the center clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake completely.
3. Filling & ganache:Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave for 1 minute. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
4. Beat the butter,sugar and mascarpone. Add Nutella,expresso and countinue to mix. 
5. Add 1/3 of the chocolate ganache and mixture until combined. Leave the rest of the ganache to cover the cake.
6. To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; brush some coffee over the cake,spread with 1/3 the filling and sprinkle some ground walnuts and then top with second layer,Pour ganache over top of cake, spreading with a spatula so it coats the sides. If you want you can make this cake with 3 layers. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish just before serving.

Bon Appétit

Roasted Chestnuts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chestnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 385 F(190 C).
2. Clean the chestnuts with the paper towel and then with a knife cut them a little bit on the side.
3. Place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. When they are done take them out and put them in the kitchen towel for about 5 minutes.Peel roasted chestnuts as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Once they cool completely, they are difficult to peel. 

Bon Appétit

Ginger Bread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

1Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup butter

1 cup molasses

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  In a large bowl, gently stir together flour, baking powder, and all spices. Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of your electric mixer beat butter until smooth.  Add brown sugar, molasses, eggs and vanilla.

3.  Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

4.  Divide the dough into 3 pieces, and flatten into rounded disk (about 1 1/2 inches thick).  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

5. When dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350*F.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to desired thickness (1/4- 1/2 inch thick). Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.  Place cookies at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If the dough is too sticky or soft to work with, put it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to firm up.

6.  Bake for 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of cookies).  Cool slightly on cookie sheet, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

7.  Frost with royal icing. 

Enjoy!

Pita Bread

 Ingredients:

•  3 cups flour 
• 1 tbsp sugar
•  salt
• 1 bag of yeast
• 1/2 cup of lukewarm water
• 4 tbsp warm milk
• 1/3 oil
• 1 egg
• poppy seeds

Directions:

1. First get your yeast ready, pour one bag of yeast in the glass, add a little sugar and warm milk and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together flour and the salt. Make a well in the center and pour the yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the oil, and 1 cup lukewarm water into the well. Mix with the dough hook on low speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and gathers around the hook, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. By hand, shape the dough into a ball(kneed for 3-4 minutes). Wipe out the mixing bowl and put the dough back in the bowl. Drizzle the dough with the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and turn the dough to coat lightly all over. Leave for about 1 1/2 hour to rise.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, about 3-3/4 oz. each.
5. Shape each piece into a rough ball and then put each ball on an unfloured section of counter, cup your hand over it, and quickly rotate your hand over the dough. As long as the dough is a little stuck to the counter, this motion shapes the dough into a tight, evenly round ball.Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
6. On the floured part of the counter, roll each piece round. As you finish each round, set it aside on a lightly floured surface. When all the dough is rolled, cover the rounds with a damp cloth (or two) and let them rest again for about 5 minutes.
7. Brush some egg over and pour some poppy seeds.
8. Put your oven on broil/high and if you have a baking stone and arrange as many of the rounds as will fit without overlapping on an unrimmed, ungreased baking sheet and bake until the pitas begin to turn golden on top, 1-2 minutes on one side then flip them on the other side for 1-2 minutes. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.
9. As each batch comes out of the oven, stack the pitas 3 or 4 high and wrap in clean kitchen towels.
10. Serve warm.

Bon Appétit 

Baked Macaroni and cheese

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan melt butter.
4. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
5. Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7. Add the sour cream and continue to cook.
8. Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) a few minutes.
9. Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
10. Turn off flame.
11. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
12. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
13. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
14. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown but reduce the temperature on 380 F.

Enjoy!

Yogurt Cheese Balls in Olive Oil or Labna Bi Zeit

An age-old tradition throughout the Eastern Mediterranean is this delicious appetizer/mezze called Labna Bi Zeit.

Ingredients : 

• 2 1/4 lb Greek Yogurt( I used 2 1/2 16 oz containers of chobani plain yogurt) 
• 1 tsp salt
• olive oil
• paprika, to serve

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir the yogurt with the salt, then pour the yogurt into a piece of muslin suspended above a bowl, or like I did, lining a colander set over the bowl.
2. Fold the cloth over the yogurt and leave it to drain in the refrigerator for 3 days, pouring off the whey as needed.
3. After three days, remove the drained yogurt from the cloth. stand it on a plate and leave to dry out for about 6 hours. Then lightly oil your fingers and palms and divide cheese into small pieces.
4. Roll the pieces into small balls(3/4 inch). Place on a tray, and refrigerate for 6-12 hours or overnight. Pack the balls into a sterilized jar and pour in enough olive oil to cover. Store in a cool place for 2-3 weeks. 
5. Serve sprinkled with paprika and pita bread. 

Bon Appétit 

Almond-Coconut Candy Bars(Almond Joy)


These taste just like the original Almond Joy. Our kids love them!!!

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (half a standard 14-oz can maybe a little bit more)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
•  2 cups shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup whole roasted almonds (I prefer roasted salted almonds)
• 1 lb chopped dark chocolate, or chocolate candy coating

Directions:

1. First  line a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, and the salt. Stir them together until they're well-mixed. If your room is fairly cold and the condensed milk is thick and hard to stir, microwave it for 10-15 seconds, just so that it loosens up and is easier to work with.
3. Next add the powdered sugar to the bowl with condensed milk, and stir it in.
4.  Add the coconut all at once and mix it with the condensed milk until there are no dry patches remaining.
5. Your final coconut mixture should be sticky but fairly stiff. If it's runny add a bit more coconut, and if it's very dry, add a bit more condensed milk.
6. Scrape the coconut into the prepared pan. Wet your palms and press the coconut into a thin, even layer. You can control how thick you want the coconut layer to be. Use a knife or a pizza wheel to lightly mark the top of the coconut into bars. 
7. Take your roasted almonds and press them into the sticky coconut top. I use 2 per bar, to stay traditional, but you can use more or less, to taste. Once all the almonds are placed, refrigerate your pan to firm up the coconut, for about an hour.
8. Once the coconut is firm enough to cut, take it out of the refrigerator. Lift the candy from the pan using the foil as handles. Use a large sharp knife to cut your bars along the lines you marked earlier. 
9. Place your chopped chocolate or candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 30-second increments. Stir it after every 30 seconds so that it doesn't overheat.When it's melted and smooth, use forks or dipping tools to dunk each candy bar in the chocolate, then tap it against the lip of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place the bars on a foil-lined baking sheet to set while you dip the rest. Refrigerate the tray to set the chocolate, for about 10 minutes.

Bon Appétit

Plum Cake

Ingredients:

•  3 eegs
• 10 tbsp sugar
• 10 tbsp  oil
• 14 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp baking poweder
• 10-15 plums
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1tbsp agave syrup or honey
• 1 tbs vanila extract
• whipped cream

Directions:

1. Pit the plums and slice in slices. Then place them into the pan and add cinnamon,agave or honey and vanilla. Cook them until they got soft and get some juice. 
2. Mix all the ingredients for the cake and then pour into the pan. Pour the plums over the batter.
3. Preheat the oven on 385 F and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Let it cool and then spread some whipped cream over it.

Bon Appétit 

Nutella Cookies



These are my favorite cookies,they melt in your mouth. If you love Nutella like me, then you should try to make these cookies and you will not be disappointed at all.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plus 1 cup powdered sugar to roll the cookies
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, at room temperature (recommended: Nutella)
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add Nutella and then add in the vanilla. With the machine running, gradually add the flour until incorporated. Add the hazelnuts and mix until combined. 
3. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop 12 balls of dough onto each baking sheet. Bake until the bottoms of the cookies flatten out slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. In batches, roll the cookies in the sugar until coated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bon Appétit