EGGLESS MUFFINS

Hi all, this is my latest experiment of egg less muffins. My son's friend who is allergic to eggs, inspired me to make these muffins. They turned out very nice and you will never know the difference from ordinary muffins. Hope you like them. Below makes 12 muffins.

YOU NEED

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp coco powder
• 1 cup of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate drops mixture
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 -7 tbsp melted butter or oil ( I prefer to use less butter )
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• Brown sugar and sunflower seeds for sprinkling

1) Sieve the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and coco powder. Add the nut and dried fruit mixture, mix.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, butter, milk and vanilla essence.

3) Pour the wet mixture slowly to the dry mixture and mix. Fold with a wooden spoon and drop 2 tbsp of the mixture to each muffin case.

4) Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and sunflower seeds and bake at preheated oven 180 C, 160 fan setting for 20 minutes.

5) Cool them on wire rack before serving.

REVANI (Turkish semolina cake with syrup)

INGREDIENTS

For the syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the cake

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 cups fine semolina
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 2 cups natural yogurt
• 1/2 cup oil or melted butter
• 1 tbsp orange rind
• coconut or chopped nuts for decorating

METHOD

1) First make the syrup. Bring water and sugar to boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the lemon juice and set aside to cool.

2) Sieve the flour add baking powder and semolina, set aside.

3) Whisk sugar with the eggs until it is slightly foamy. Add yogurt, butter and whisk with an electric mixer or wire whisk.

4) Gently fold in the flour, semolina and orange zest.

5) Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin 34cm x 24cm and spread out evenly.

6) Bake the cake in pre heated oven 170 C  for 35- 40 minutes or until it is golden brown on top.

7) Let the cake rest for 5 minutes and then cut into squares or diamond shaped slices. Pour the cool syrup over the hot cake and let all the syrup soak into the cake.

8) Place the cake into the fridge for 2-4 hours. Serve chilled. Decorate with desiccated coconut or chopped nuts before serving. Also very good, served with whipped cream or ice cream.

NOTE : This cake is also nice, baked with added chopped almonds or pistachios.  Add 1/2 cup of nuts  to the ingredients, if you wish.

 

BAKLAVA- EASY TURKISH BAKLAVA

Baklava  is a Turkish specialty dessert that  prepared and enjoyed during holidays, weddings and special occasions. It is also customary to take some baklava as a gift when visiting family and friends.

Baklava in Turkey  always made with home made paper thin filo pastry and only pistachio nuts or walnuts used as filling as they are softer in texture.

Today I used mixture  of walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios which I had in my freezer and wanted to used them up. I hope you enjoy making this as much as I did. Makes 23-25 pieces of baklava.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack of 400 g filo pastry, defrosted if frozen
• 1 cup ( 10 tbsp )melted butter 
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE SYRUP ( 1 cup of water = 200 ml and 1 cup of sugar = 200 g )

• 4 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat the oven 180C, 160 fan setting. Mix chopped nuts with cinnamon in a bowl.

1) Brush a baking tray with butter. ( I used 32cm x 22 cm tray ). Cut one sheet of filo pastry to fit your baking tray as shown above. Then brush the pastry with butter and place another layer of pastry. Repeat this process with 4 more layers of filo pastry and butter  to make it 6 first layers. Sprinkle the nut mixture to cover the pastry  and layer another 6 sheets of  pastry brushing the each layer with butter. Now sprinkle some more nuts and layer it with 3 or 6 more of the sheets of filo with butter, depending on how much pastry left to use. Brush the top of the last filo with butter.

2) Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava diagonal lines right through all the layers to the bottom, to form small diamond shapes.

3 ) Place baklava into the oven and bake for one hour, until it is golden. While the baklava is  in the oven, make the syrup.

4) Place the sugar and water into a heavy pan and bring it to boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat to low and simmer the syrup for 15 minutes  until it thickens slightly. Add the lemon juice and simmer further 3-5 minutes and take the syrup off the heat. Leave it to cool in the pan.

5) Take the baklava out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then pour over the cooled syrup over the baklava and leave it to soak preferably overnight.

6) Re cut the baklava and serve with sprinkled pistachio nuts.

FRUIT & NUT CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH SESAME SEEDS (cukulota ve susam biskuvi,kuki ))

Yesterday it was snowing outside and I thought what better than to put the kettle on,  for a nice cup of coffee  and make some cookies while watching the snow falling. I was in a creative mood and  created this recipe. It took couple of attempts  to get the recipe right but the result was very good and the cookies were lovely. Makes 30- 32 cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 egg and plus 1 egg white, beaten
• 2  full cups of self raising wholemeal flour ( 250 g )
• pinch of salt
• 1 level tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 100 g fruit and nut chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 yolk of an egg for glazing
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds for sprinkling.

METHOD

Preheat the oven and grease the baking tray. Place chocolate in a plastic bag and break them with the rolling pin until you have small pieces. Set aside. Separate one of the eggs to use the yolk for glazing and white for the dough mixture.

1) In a large  mixing bowl, cream the butter, olive oil and sugar until light and fluffy. I used electric hand blender. 

2) Add the beaten egg and egg white gradually. Sieve the flour, cinnamon and salt together. Mix the sesame seeds and chocolate pieces with the flour. Then add flour and nut mixture into the  creamed mixture, mix well with a wooden spoon. Add milk and mix thoroughly.

3) Divide the dough in to 30 walnut size pieces and shape them with floured hands,  into rounds. 

4) Place them into the baking tray and press them gently to make 5 cm round cookies. Brush them with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5) Bake in preheated oven 190 C, 170 Fan setting for 12- 15 minutes. Cool them on wire rack before serving.

MICROWAVE CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Hi all, firstly I must mention that my camera is a big miss since I dropped and broke it and hoping to get a new one of SANTA LOL!!! In the mean time we will make do and get those festive recipes going.

This Christmas pudding is so easy and quick to make in the microwave and it is  as good as conventional pudding. This pudding was cooked  and tested on full power at 650 Watt Microwave.

YOU NEED

• 2 dessert apples, grated
• 150 g bread crumbs
• 100 g raisins
• 100 g sultanas
• 100 g prunes, chopped
• 100 g vegetable suet
• 50 g almonds, chopped
• 50 g candied peel
• 50 g soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp black treacle or pekmez
• 3 eggs
• 125 ml Guinness
• 1tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp gravy browning

Place all pudding ingredients into a bowl and mix. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased, base-lined 1.25 litre basin. Level the top with a spoon. Cover with cling film and pierce. Cook for 8 minutes on full power in a 650 watt microwave. ( Or adjust your time for lower or higher watt. ) After 8 minutes, leave to cool and remove the cling film. Cover with fresh cling film and foil before storing.

Serve with Brandy Sauce.

MULLED WINE WITH SPICED NUTS ( SICAK SARAP VE BAHARATLI CEREZ )

Hi all, with  Christmas just round the corner , I thought I share some of my quick and easy to do Xmas recipes, with you all. I hope you like them. This serves 10.

YOU NEED

• 1 litre red wine
• 4tbsp soft brown sugar
• 250 ml boiling water
• 1 orange
• Half a lemon, sliced
• 15-20 cloves
• 5-6 cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5cm fresh ginger piece
• dash of brandy

First cut the orange in half. Spear one half with cloves and slice the other half. In a large pan mix red wine, brown sugar,boiling water  orange, lemon slices, cardamoms, cinnamon stick and ginger and mix. Cover and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Take the cover off and heat the wine gently until it is hot for about 5-7 minutes.  DO NOT BOIL. Divide the wine into glasses and serve it with roasted spicy nuts. 

TIP: Add a dash of brandy for extra warmth.

NOTE: Place a metal teaspoon to each wine glass to prevent it cracking.

SPICED ROASTED NUTS

• 25 g butter
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50 g peanuts
• 50 g hazelnuts
• 50 g cashew nuts
• 50 g almonds

Place the butter in a non stick frying pan. Add the spices and salt to melted butter. Add nuts and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring. Cool on kitchen paper and serve with Mulled Wine.

ASURE ( SWEET CEREAL- LEGUME PUDDING )

Hi all, this pudding is one of the most traditional and oldest of deserts in Turkey. It is made during the religious month of 'Kurban Bayrami.' About 10-15 ingredients go into this desert and the more ingredients we have, is the better.

Every household makes this pudding in large amounts and then distributed amongst neighbours and relatives. It is served when family and friends visit during bayram to celebrate the holy month.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dovme ( wurled wheat )
• 1/3 cup small white dried beans
• 1/3 cup chick peas
• 4 tbsp rice
• 1/2 cup seedless raisins
• 1 small orange peel, chopped finely
• 1 small lemon peel, chopped finely
• water
• 5 dried figs, chopped into small pieces
• 6-7 dried apricots, chopped finely
• 1 packet of vanilla or 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp rose water
• cinnamon
• desiccated coconut
• walnuts
• hazelnuts
• pistachios
• pomegranate seeds.

First soak dovme, white beans and chick peas separately in plenty of water ,overnight. Wash them several times and boil them to cook separately. Then transfer all 3, into a large sauce pan. Add the rice, orange and lemon peel. Add water to the top, to cover the ingredients and bring it to boil. Turn the heat to medium, stir  it well and  simmer for 30 minutes. Add sugar and washed raisins  mixing thoroughly. Simmer for further 10 minutes. Add washed and chopped figs, apricots, vanilla  and boil for another 5-7 minutes. Rewove from heat and add rose water. Pour the pudding into individual desert bowls while it is hot. Then cool it. Sprinkle with cinnamon, then decorate and garnish with coconut, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and pomegranate seeds just before serving. Serves 10.

NARLI GULLAC ( GULLAC WITH POMEGRANATES )

Hi all, gullac is a very light and delicious desert, especially popular during Ramazan. It is made from starch, flour,  milk and poured over a large  hot pan (sac ) thinly and cooked dry, then packed away for later use. It is wafer like, fine, dry and round pastry leaves are the basis for  this delicate desert. Gullac dates back to ottoman period of Sultans and Pasa's, as favorite in the palaces. It gets its name gul, meaning rose. So using the rose water for this desert is a must.

YOU NEED

• 10 gullac leaves
• 1 litre of milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp rose water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pomegranate, seeded

First heat the milk with sugar, rose water and vanilla. It has to be just warm enough to touch not very hot. Pour 1 cup of  milk into a large tray. Then place a gullac leaf in the tray making sure the leaf is completely soaked. Place the second leaf and some more milk to soak. Do the same with the third, forth and fifth leaf. Then spread the walnuts over it generously. Then continue to layer the milk and the remaining 5 leaves as above. Pour the rest of the milk mixture over the leaves to make sure no dry bits left. Then sprinkle the desert with chopped pistachios. Finally cut  the desert into diamond or square shapes and leave it in the tray for the milk to be absorbed totally for about  30-45 minutes.

Decorate with pomegranate seeds just before serving.

COOKS NOTE: It is best to use full fat milk for a special treat but it is just as nice with semi skimmed milk and less sugar to make it low calorie desert.