My step-son’s birthday is today and so I thought that I would make a Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake with White Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream and Rum Raisin Caramel Sauce.

I think that I’ve made two cakes in my entire life and so this was a bit of a challenge for me. If I were to do this type of cake again I would definitely leave the raisins out of the batter because they made it difficult to slice the cake into even layers. Perhaps freezing the cake prior to cutting would of made it easier—so instead of eight layers it turned into a four layer cake.

There are several different methods for making buttercream icing and I prefer the Italian Meringue Buttercream method where you heat the sugar syrup to 245 degrees and slowly pour it into stiffly beaten egg whites and whip the mixture until cool before adding in softened butter. If you heat the sugar syrup to the correct temperature then the rest is easy and you’ll have a beautiful, silky buttercream that won’t become stiff or runny. And for someone like me who doesn’t have a lot of experience with layer cakes I need an icing that is easy to work with. To flavor my buttercream, I folded in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, one tablespoon of orange zest and a 1/2 cup of melted and cooled good quality white chocolate. Another option instead of white chocolate would be to add softened cream cheese which would work nicely with this cake as well.

So Happy Birthday Jerm! I’ve saved you a piece in the freezer and will bring it with us on our next visit to Portland.

Enjoy!

I wanted to make a light dessert for summer last week and so I made Lemon-Ouzo Mousse and Yogurt Cake with Roasted Strawberry Syrup. My original plan was to make a 4–layer lemon cake, but the cake was too dense and heavy for the mousse filling and so I decided to use the cake as a base for the mousse instead. It turned out really great—refreshing with bold flavors and interesting textures.

The cake base is yummy enough to eat on its own without the mousse. It turned out incredibly moist and rich and would be great drizzled with a light lemon syrup or lemon icing. For the cake, I used thick Greek yogurt and lots of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. For the mousse, in addition to fresh lemon juice, I added a small amount of Greek Ouzo, which is a sweet anise flavored liqueur and goes really well with the lemon flavor and roasted strawberry syrup.

So next time you’re making a dessert and it doesn’t turn out exactly as you had planned rethink the design and use the ingredients in another way. You’ll end up with a great tasting, beautifully presented dessert. Enjoy!

This time last year my husband and I were traveling around the Island of Crete for a two-week vacation. We met really wonderful people, ate delicious food, drank great wines, (as well as Raki) and took in all the beautiful scenery. It’s crazy how fast this past year has gone by and I would love to be back there experiencing it all over again. Perhaps we’ll have another opportunity to visit again in the near future.

So lately, I have been reminiscing and all I want to do is eat Greek food and experience their culture. Two weeks ago we went to a Greek Festival in Oakland and this weekend we’ll be attending another festival in San Jose. We also went out to eat last weekend for my husband’s birthday at a very nice Greek restaurant. However, it’s just not the same and so I wanted to make something today, which reminded me of the special times during our vacation. So I decided to make Loukamades, tossed in Hot Cinnamon Syrup with Toasted Walnuts. I’ve eaten so many of these today that I’m sure I’ll be up all night with a sugar rush. They were really fun to make and all the employees at work loved them.

While we were traveling through Crete, we spent the night in a town called Paleochora, which is located on the southwest coast of Crete along the Libyan Sea. The town is very beautiful, quaint, with two gorgeous beaches. Anyway, I believe it was a weeknight and my husband and I had just finished dinner and we were walking around the streets and we stumbled upon this small little cafe where they only serve Loukamades—the best in the area! So it’s about 11:30pm when we arrive at the cafe and there are one or two other couples chatting, but by midnight, the place was packed with locals (about 30) eating Loukamades and drinking Greek coffee and Raki. It was such a wonderful experience, watching all of these people (family, friends, neighbors discussing their day with their kids playing in the street) and it was all centered around food—these little delicious balls of dough. I’ll never forget that experience and I am so glad that we had the opportunity to be there.

I have never made Loukamades, Beignets or donuts before and so I researched a bunch of recipes and combined certain elements to make it taste exactly how I remembered. You can use a basic donut recipe, but what surprised me the most about the dough was how soft and sticky it was. It almost reminded me of brioche, without all of the butter, and it was just as difficult to work with. To avoid adding unneeded flour while forming the balls, spray a little bit of canola spray on your fingertips and form the dough into small balls the size of cherries. I let the dough rise for about an hour, formed into balls and then dropped into hot oil at 375 degrees, turning constantly so that they browned evenly. I then drained them on paper towels and then tossed in the hot Cinnamon Syrup.

For the syrup, I chose to make a simple syrup (3 cups sugar to 2 parts water) instead of using melted honey. I reduced the simple syrup, along with ground cinnamon, orange zest, and lemon juice to a thick consistency. While the Loukamades are still hot, pour over the cinnamon syrup and toss to coat evenly. Arrange in a bowl and sprinkle with toasted minced walnuts. They are soft and moist on the inside with a slight crunchy exterior—and they are a sticky mess—but you’ll love them! Serve hot and enjoy a small taste of Greece no matter where you are!! Opa!

I must have been born Greek in a previous lifetime. I love everything about their cuisine, especially their Feta cheese; not to mention their history, people, culture, climate, and landscape—I could go on and on… Anyway, I was off from work yesterday, but went in because this is the only time that I have to play around with dessert ideas.  So I decided to make Feta Cheesecake with Kourabiedes Crust and Figs Poached in Port Wine.

Kourabiedes cookies are traditional Greek almond cookies dusted with powdered sugar which are served during festive occasions, and this is what I used to make the crust for my cheesecake. To start, roll out the Kourabiedes dough thinly and bake for about 10–15 minutes. Cool completely and then add to a food processor and pulse to a fine grain.  In a bowl add your cookie crumbs and moisten with melted butter and then press into the cheesecake mold and bake for about 10 minutes until set.

Next, follow any standard cheesecake recipe, but reduce the amount of cream cheese and substitute with a good quality Greek Feta (goat or sheep milk) cheese. I recommend the ratio of feta to cream cheese to be 1 part feta to 2 parts cream cheese. I sometimes find cheesecake to be too sweet, but the feta cheese adds a really nice tang to balance out the sweetness. However, since feta is not as creamy as cream cheese, it’s really important to strain the mixture before adding it to your mold or pan prior to baking to remove any lumps.

Finally, use a good port wine and reduce slowly with vanilla bean, lemon juice and a small amount of sugar. Add sliced dried figs (or fresh when in season) and poach until soft. Plate cheesecake, drizzle with port sauce and dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.  Now, if only I were eating this at an Estiatorio in Greece!

I never get an opportunity to make dessert at home or at the restaurant and so I was off today (but went into the restaurant anyway) to experiment with an idea I had for Baklava. Baklava is popular though out Greece, Turkey and the Middle East and consists of layered phyllo dough with chopped nuts, spices and a honey-lemon syrup. With my version, I wanted to layer the phyllo between layers Baklava ice cream and finish with Persian flavors using cardamom, rose petals and pistachios.

To start use any recipe for vanilla bean ice cream (crème anglaise) and process according to manufacturers instructions. Set ice cream in the freezer but keep soft enough so that you can fold in almond mixture. In a 350 degree oven toast a couple cups of sliced almonds with the skin on until golden brown. Set aside to cool. When completely cooled, rough chop and add a 1/2 a tablespoon of freshly ground cardamom and a tablespoon of cinnamon. On the stove mix one cup of sugar, a half of cup of water, a couple of tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of corn syrup and cook until sugar and honey are dissolved. Remove from heat and add a small amount of cream. Mix really well and stir into almond mixture and set aside to cool. Remove ice cream from the freezer and soften if necessary. Fold in almond mixture and pour into a 1/2 sheet pan which has been lined with plastic wrap. Use an offset spatula to make sure the ice cream is level and place in the freezer until solid.

Next, melt some butter and unwrap phyllo dough. Brush about 8 sheets of phyllo dough with butter stacking each layer on top of the next. You will have a large 12x15 rectangle. Trim the edges off the phyllo and cut into 3-inch squares. Place phyllo squares on a large sheet pan lined with a silpat. Cover the squares with parchment paper and place another sheet pan on top. Bake phyllo in a 350-degree oven for about 20–25 minutes (or until golden brown) turning half way through cooking. Remove the top sheet plan and the parchment paper and let phyllo cool on the silpat.

Meanwhile, while the phyllo is cooking, you’ll need to make rose water syrup. I purchased dried rose petals from a Persian market and steeped them in hot water for about 15 minutes. Strain the rose petals and reserve the water. You’ll need about a cup. You can also purchase rose water in a bottle but it is clear in color. In a small sauce pan add about 1.5 cups of sugar and 1 cup of the rose infused water. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until sugar is melted and has a syrup consistency. Next add orange zest and lime juice to taste. Set syrup aside to cool.

To finish, remove ice cream from freezer and cut into 3 inch squares (work quickly or the ice cream will melt). If the ice cream starts to melt after you’ve finished cutting, place squares back in the freezer to firm up before plating. Place a phyllo square on the plate and top with an ice cream square and repeat and top with final phyllo square. Pour rose water syrup on top of phyllo napoleon and drizzle around the plate. Top with rose petals, slivered pistachios and dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy this beautiful dessert!