Rafkioles (ravioles or Cypriot ravioli)

This delicatre and soul-warming dish is very different from Italian ravioli. The dough is soft and pillowy and the cheese filling is has a very distinctive flavor because of the halloumi cheese, which is made from sheep and/or goat milk. It's my whole family's favorite on cold days and special occasions. Make double the amount and freeze the second batch on trays before bagging and storing in the freezer. 

Ingredients

1 halloumi cheese, grated (2 cups)

2 cups strained ricotta or anari cheese

2 eggs

1 teaspoon dried mint

2 cups flour

1/3-1/2 cup water

Generous pinch of salt\

1 chicken or vegetable stock cube or 1/2 gallon broth

Procedure

Mix the cheeses, eggs and mint in a bowl and set aside. Put the flour and salt in a blender or mixer or in a bowl and add enough water to make a pliable dough. In the blender, as soon as the dough comes together in a ball, it's ready. Place in an oiled bowl and keep covered with a damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Tear handfuls of dough and roll out thin on a floured surface, using a rolling pin or a pasta machine (the thinner the dough, the faster they will cook). Place teaspoonfuls of the cheese mixture in a row along the rolled out dough and fold over. Press the air out with your fingers and cut each rafkiola with a glass or cookie cutter. Place rafkioles on a sheet pan. When you fill the sheet pan, boil the broth or stock in a large pot. Drop into the simmering broth one by one (to make sure they don't stick to each other) and cook through for 5-6 minutes after they rise to the top of the broth. Serve warm.

La Crepe de Froment/Sweet Crepes (recipe from Brittany)

 Ingredients

500 g flour
250 g powdered (icing) sugar
125 g butter or 3 tablespoons oil
3 eggs
1 litre milk

1/2 cup water

Preparation

Place the flour, sugar and eggs in a bowl. Mix in the water followed by the milk. The batter should be smooth and thin. Add the melted butter. Let the batter rest. Cook in a buttered pan until golden brown and flip to cook the other side. Serve with jam, chocolate sauce or flambe with rum.

Bread Machine Croissants!

Wow! I love eating croissants, but I always thought they were way to hard to make. Well, a bread machine takes the guesswork out of the dough and cuts the effort in half (or less). I would not make these in the summer months--my kitchen is too hot and the butter melts before I'm done folding. My only tip: Don't fold the butter into the dough more times than the recipe says or you'll end up with butter bread.

Ingredients

2/3 cup (160mL) water
2 (100g) large eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups (288g) bread flour
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. (35g) sugar
3 Tbsp. (12g) dry milk
1 tsp. (5.6g) salt
3 Tbsp. (42g) butter
1 1/2 tsp. (4.2g) active dry yeast (or 2 tsp. (6g) rapid rise yeast)

For kneading into the dough:
1 cup (227g) butter, softened

For the egg glaze:
1 (50g) large egg, beaten
4 tsp. (18mL) water

Procedure

Following the instruction manual, prepare the dough using the ingredients listed for the dough (wet ingredients first, then dry).

When finished, remove the dough from the baking pan. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and allow to rest 30 minutes for the 2-lb. breadmaker or 20 minutes for the 1-lb. breadmaker.

Roll dough into a rectangle. Roll dough into 20x4" rectangle (1/4" thick) on a lightly floured surface, use 1/3 cup of the softened butter and butter 2/3 of the dough while leaving 1/3 unbuttered.

Fold the dough into thirds and repeat step 3. Add flour to the rolling surface as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Cover completely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Cut dough into three long rectangles and then each into two or three long triangles. Roll each triangle loosely starting from the base, lay with seam side down. Curve the ends to form the crescent. Place on a greased baking sheet. Allow to rise for 40 to 50 minutes or until size doubles.

Brush lightly with egg glaze.

Bake in a moderately hot oven at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky.

Enjoy!

Bread Rolls

Ingredients

"Wet" Ingredients

3/4 cup + 1-3 tbs warm water (80 F) 

2 tbs butter or olive oil

3 1/2 tbs sugar

2 tbs dry milk (or substitute 1/4 c of the water with fresh whole milk)

1 tsp salt

Dry Ingredients

2 tsp dry yeast or 1 1/2 tsp bread machine (fast rise) yeast

3 cups bread flour (or 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white bread flour)

Topping: 1/4 cup milk or cream + 1 tbs sugar

Oven: 350F

Procedure

For breadmaker: place all the wet ingredients in the bread pan. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet. Run machine on Dough setting. When finished, remove dough and cut into 6-8 pieces and roll into smooth balls (or fold the tops to the middle of the bottom until the top is stretched into a roll then pinch the bottoms to seal). Place on a parchment-lined baking pan and brush with the milk/sugar mixture. Cover with oiled cling film and a towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes. When doubled in size, uncover, brush again and bake in a medium-hot oven (350F) for about 15-20 minutes. Remove when the tops look golden brown. 

By hand or mixer with a dough hook: place dry ingredients in a big bowl and stir together with a clean hand. Make a hole in the center and place all the wet ingredients. Knead for 5-10 minutes until thoroughly mixed and the dough is smooth and stretchy. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size. Remove onto a clean flat surface dusted with a little flour. Knead the dough for 5 more minutes until it is soft and smooth. Cut into 6-8 pieces and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking pan and brush with the milk/sugar mixture. Cover with oiled cling film and a towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes. When doubled in size, uncover, brush again and bake in a medium-hot oven (350F) for about 15-20 minutes. Remove when the tops look golden brown. 

I like to serve them with room temperature salted butter and honey or jam. They're perfect for hamburgers or sandwiches and never last more than a day. If any are left, wrap in parchment and then place in an air-tight container or fridge, or freeze them.

Let me know how they turned out and how fast they disappeared!

Blancmange (Custard)

From my 4th grade cookbook.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 dessertspoon sugar (1 tablespoon if you like it sweeter)

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 pinch vanilla or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Utensils

1 saucepan

1 cup

1 mixing bowl

2 small bowls or molds

1 wooden spoon

1 dessertspoon (10 ml)

1 tablespoon (15 ml)

Measure out the milk into the saucepan and take out 4 tablespoons of cold milk into the mixing bowl. Measure the cornflour into the mixing bowl and stir until combined. Heat the milk in the saucepan and add the sugar. When it begins to bubble, pour the warm milk into the mixing bowl while stirring vigorously. Pour all the milk back into the saucepan and heat while stirring, making sure you are scraping the bottom of the saucepan to ensure no milk sticks and burns. Once it starts bubbling, remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Wet the molds or bowls you will cool the custard into and divide the custard between the molds. Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate, or serve warm.

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Sweet Potato-Carrot Victoria Sandwich Cake

Want to get some veggies into your little ones? This is a great way to do it. Grate the nutritious sweet potato and carrot on a fine grater, or just use your blender to make them really smooth. It's a big hit.

Ingredients
4 oz. self rising flour
4 oz. sugar
4 oz. butter
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup grated sweet potato
1 grated small carrot

Procedure
Beat the butter with the sugar until light and creamy. Beat the eggs in one at a time and then the vanilla. Fold in the sifted flour, and then fold in the grated vegetables. Divide between two 6-7 inch cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20-25 min.. If you pour the whole mixture into one bigger pan, check it after 25 minutes and if it's not ready, check it when it starts to smell really strongly, in about 10-15 more minutes.


Let me know how everyone liked it!