Easy and fast mini cakes with fresh plums scented with vanilla and brandy

In Greece during the Spring and Summer months there is a stone fruit called "Vanillia". They are similar to the fresh plums in both taste and colour. This sweet and juicy fruit is the main ingredient for these cute mini cakes. The batter is light and airy, scented with brandy and vanilla and the result is a very tasty Summer dessert! The common fresh plums of course will replace the "Vanillia" ones perfectly but other Summer stone fruits can also be used depending on your preference

Cinnamon-scented fresh whole apricots in home made pastry "bundles"

An easy but so delicious dessert for the Summer months which can be also served at a Summer party! Apricots with their distinctive aroma and taste can become a mellow dessert enclosed in this easy home made pastry. Good looking and light, they will surely satisfy your guests

Greek yoghurt gelato sandwiches with whole meal petits-beurres biscuits

A very easy recipe to enjoy at home- a delicious gelato based on Greek yoghurt. And this is the only Greek gelato since even the Italians make it using the popular Greek thick yoghurt. Make plenty of these sandwiches because they can be stored in the freezer for many days and they can become a great and healthy refreshing snack for every day for the whole family and an easy treat for your guests

Mini phyllo pastry milk pies with seasonal fresh fruits

The recipe of these creamy, cute and delicious tartelettes with phyllo is based on the traditional "Galatopita" (milk pie) dessert which is served all around Greece in different versions all year through. Galatopita is a very popular dessert because it can be served warm or cold so it is an all-season light dessert with or without pastry depending on the region it comes from. These mini milk pies are ideal to serve along with your coffee or at a party and as for the fruits you can use those you like most depending on the season

Sweet tahini pies with homemade pastry - A vegetarian sweet treat for all hours

Monday today and we'll start with a traditional recipe found in various regions of Greece and which is a great snack to have while fasting during the Holy Week (but not only). As you'll see the ingredients are not many or fancy and the whole recipe counts on the presence of this especially tasty and nutritious ingredient: the tahini paste which comes from the sesame seeds and it has always been a staple in the Greek cuisine! During the Holy Week, and especially on Good Friday, in those households where people strictly fast,it is the main ingredient used for various recipes since even olive oil is not eaten. There are variations of the recipe but this one is simple and basic as things should be during this special week

"Lazarakia" - Traditional Lenten cookies for the "Saturday of Lazarus"

Today in the Greek Orthodox calendar is the "Saturday of Lazarus" and is, in a way, the beginning of the Greek Orthodox Holy Week. "Lazarakia" (literally meaning "Little Lazaruses") are traditional small, sweet and mildly spiced cookies made only once a year and that day is today. They represent, of course, the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We are not 100% sure from when and where this custom started but it seems that it probably arrived in Greece with the Greeks from Asia Minor. Hence the fact that it is a recipe that we don't find all over Greece but mainly in places where the Greeks of Asia Minor reached and established themselves through the years. For example, Cretan friends have told me that in Crete they are not familiar with this custom. On the other hand there are other islands like Kalymnos, Kasteloryzo, Rhodes and Skopelos where these cookies are a "must" for this time of year and there are various festivities connected to them on this specific Saturday. Lazarakia are cookies shaped like a man wrapped in a shroud (supposedly Saint Lazarus of Bethany) with cloves for eyes. They are Lenten cookies meaning they do not contain any dairy or egg products. Somebody would say that they look ugly and macabre but these cookies have a different purpose than any other type of fancy cookies. They are meant to remind us of Lazarus' resurrection which forebodes Christ's and lets not forget that this was Christ's last miracle before his own death and resurrection. Being not so attractive in looks and rather "poor" in ingredients, these small cookies don't lack of taste at all!! On the contrary they are very tasty and aromatic thanks to the spices that go in. There is a basic recipe but depending on the region the cookies come from there are various extra elements added which enrich the flavour of them. The version I'm giving you today is only one of the many that exist. I've cooked them 2-3 times in the past (different versions regarding the spices) and once you have the first bite you forget all about looks...:-)) 

Mixed raisins and Aegina pistachios biscuits scented with ouzo and fennel

Semi crunchy, lightly sweet and very aromatic, thanks to the fennel seeds, these cuties are really delicious! These biscuits (or cookies for the Americans) are ideal to have as a sweet snack or with your tea, coffee or even with milk! An all-seasons little sweet treat which both adults and children can enjoy anytime during the day

No-Bake traditional "Skaltsounia" halfmoons with chocolate

This is a traditional sweet recipe which can be found in Crete but also in various Aegean Sea islands. The recipe differs from region to region regarding the type of filling but also regarding the preparation of the recipe because we have those which are fried or baked and those without any cooking. This last one is the version of Skaltsounia (or "Kaltsounia" or "Kalitsounia") I'm giving you today and it is a sweet treat that it is commonly served in special occasions like Easter, Christmas, Weddings or Christenings but you can enjoy them anytime accompanying your coffee. The traditional recipe is without any chocolate in the dough mixture but here we have a more modern version. Try them out when you have the chance, you'll see how addictive they can become

Easy ginger and aromatic spices honey biscuits

The main ingredients of aromatic mild spices, some of my favourite ones like cloves and cinnamon and ginger for extra flavour, give a subtle "kick" to these tasty biscuits. Biscuits which can be a great snack for all hours to enjoy with your coffee, tea or milk. The only thing you have to keep in mind with these cuties is that their texture is something between a biscuit and a cookie. Don't make the mistake I made first time:-)) Not too hard or not too soft so keep an eye on the baking time

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Easy fully-chestnut chocolate truffles with rum

These small, cute and really delicious truffles can be made in advance and stay with you during the whole Festive season to be served any time! If they survive all these days that is!:-) So easy to pick one up every time you pass by them and it is hard to ignore them I'm telling you! The recipe it is a rather classic version for truffles and as you'll see not complicated at all to prepare. Although it differs in more than one element, it reminds me of the recipe my mother's sister used to make every year. I still remember how anxious I was as a kid when I knew that the time for "auntie's truffles" arrived.... I know, this is rich coming from somebody who declares in every chance how a big fan of savoury dishes she is but .... everybody has their sweet weakness I suppose....:-)  

FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Roxakia - Traditional sweet two-coloured pastry bites

Small and cute sweets and quite light in taste. A traditional delicacy coming from up North Greece but possibly they first arrived with the Greeks from Asia Minor. In Thessaloniki, where they are considered as a local delicacy, they also serve Roxakia as a Christmas sweet treat

Quick cinnamon flat biscuits

This is probably the most easy and quick recipe I know for biscuits. The aroma and the taste of the cinnamon makes them really delicious and if you store them in a metal box in a dry place they can keep fresh for many days. Try them out with some Greek (or Turkish) coffee, you'll be amazed of how perfectly well they match together!!

Tasty muffins with peaches

Small and cute these muffins will become a very tasty Summer sweet treat for everybody!

Profiteroles filled with Anthotyro cheese mousse

An elegant and light dessert for all seasons. The classic (pâte à) choux filled with a different type of cream using the tasty and airy Anthotyro cheese. Anthotyro is a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese with a medium soft texture. Dry-ish and white in colour with a lightly sweet and creamy taste. It is made with milk and whey from sheep and/or goats and it is produced in most parts of Greece. In Greece we use Anthotyro for sweet and savoury dishes and it is also eaten for breakfast with honey and fruits. For the recipe you can use home made or store bought little choux

Cinnamon biscuits with almonds and Stevia

Tasty and easy biscuits to make and have available at home for all hours! Using Stevia instead of sugar makes them more accessible, without lacking in taste at all, to those who look after their weight but most importantly to those who have diabetes problems. A natural sweetener without any calories, substitute to sugar and the various synthetic sweeteners, Stevia helps us to feel no guilt and enjoy sweet recipes without any sugar involved. The ratio is about 1gr. of Stevia to 8-12gr. of sugar, which means that we use 8-12 times less quantity of sugar, depending on the recipe. Definitely something many of us should give a good thought about...

Warm chocolate half-moon pies with cinnamon

They are so easy and fast to prepare so I'm sure these cute chocolate pies will become one of your favourite sweet treats and snacks for all year round! Play with the ingredients if you are in the mood, adding to the filling blond raisins or chopped nuts or use different spices

Easter cookies with orange and cognac flavour

So, Easter is here again... At least for some of you since the Latin and Greek Orthodox Easter don't coincide this year. It is not my time for Easter recipes yet but since it is for most of the followers and passing-by readers of this blog I wished to honour them all the same! Keeping in mind that the eating habits are quite different I tried to choose some recipes that the foreign friends would not find troublesome or "weird" like some traditional Greek Easter recipes can be...:-) Lets start then with something really painless, easy to make and delicious. A recipe, one version out of so many, for Easter cookies that you can find around Greece. Enriched with orange and cognac this is a recipe which can be followed any time of the year to enjoy along with your coffee

Semolina Halva "truffles" with pine nuts

Celebrating the "Clean Monday" day and the beginning of the Lent period of the Greek Orthodox calendar (the 40 days of fasting before the Easter Holy Week), I treat you with a different but very tasty variation of the traditional semolina halva dessert. It follows the classic recipe and then turns out to become these cute small balls to treat your guests with something special

Little cakes filled with lemon cream and Aegina pistachios

Easy and delicious mini cakes to enjoy with your coffee and tea, to serve at a kids party or to have it as a snack any time of the day. If you double the quantities of the ingredients you can make a whole cake, baking for 60 minutes. When it is cold, cut the cake in half (lengthwise), spread between the two pieces the lemon curd and sprinkle on top with the pistachios



Homemade white breads with apples and cinnamon

Delicious semi-sweet white breads to enjoy at your breakfast or to have as a snack! Freshly baked with the crunchiness of the refreshing apples and the special aroma of the cinnamon these breads are great to start your day in the best way!