Sweets

Baked Quinces

Macedonian

Ingredients for 6 people

3-4 quinces

1 cup sugar

1glass water

1 cup sweet red wine

cloves

Directions

Rinse the quinces and remove their seeds (keep them in a separate bowl); chop the quinces in quarters without removing the skin.

Place the fruit in a pan with the skin facing up.Put 1-2 cloves in each piece of fruit. Mix the wine with the water and the sugar until the sugar melts and pour the mixture in the pan.Place the quince seeds in the pan as well.Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 180 degreesfor an hour.Remove the aluminum foil after 30 minutes of baking to let the quinces brown.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Felia- French toast

Pontian

Ingredients for 4 people

4-5 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons sugar

butter

4 large slices of bread

to serve:

sugar

Directions

Beat the eggs and the milk in a bowl, until the mixture is homogenous.

Dip the bread slices in the mixture, on all sides, until the bread is soaked well.

Burn the butter in a pan and, using a fork, place the bread slices in and fry them.Once one side of the bread is baked, turn it over.

Serve the french toast with sugar on top.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Halvas from semolina

Ingredients for 6 people

1 cup oil

2 cups coarse semolina

3 cups sugar

4 cups water

20 raisins

cinnamon sticks

to serve:

cinnamon

Directions

Burn the oil in a wide pot and pour the semolina, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it turns brown.

In another pot, put the water, the sugar, the raisins and the cinnamon sticks.Boil the syrup for 7- 10 minutes and then pour it in the pot with the semolina while stirring constantly.Put the lid on the pot, until the semolina absorbs all the syrup.Format the halva before it cools and sprinkle with some cinnamon.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Houssaf compote

Pontian

Ingredients for 6 people

500gdried plums

150 gdried apples

150 g black raisins

100 gdried Pears

2 cups sugar

to serve:

orange peels

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a large pot and add enough water to cover them.Bring to a boil over low heat until the fruits are tender. Serve the Houssaf cold with some orange peels for flavor.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Milk-pie

Macedonian

Ingredients for 6 people

1 litre milk

4 tablespoons fine semolina

1 cup sugar

5 eggs

3 phyllo sheets

zest of 1/2 an orange

3 tablespoons butter

Directions

Whisk the eggs in a mixer until they turn white and set aside.

Boil the milk with the sugar and the semolina over low heat; when the milk starts to thicken, remove from the stove and stir slowly while adding the eggs and orange zest.

Melt the butter and spread some in a small pan; place two phyllo sheets on the bottom of the pan.Pour the mixture of milk and semolina in the pan; crash the third phyllo sheet and put it in the mixture as well.Pour the remaining butter in the pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the pie forms a crust. 

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Otia

Pontian

Ingredients for 10 people

5 eggs

1 cup yogurt

1 cup sugar

1 baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

500gflour,all-purpose

frying oil

to serve:

castor sugar

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together until the dough is soft and smooth.

Divide the dough in portions and roll out each one with a rolling pin.Cut diamond shapes from the rolled out dough and make a hole in the middle; form a bow by taking one end of the diamond shaped dough and passing it through the middle hole.

Deep fry the little bows in oil until they turn golden and serve with powdered sugar.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Varvara

Thracian

Ingredients for 10 people

500ghard wheat

1 cup walnuts

1 tablespoon cinnamon

5-6 dried figs

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup raisins

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons flour

to serve:

pomegranate seeds

Directions

Soak the wheat overnight and the next day boil it over low heat with plenty of water, until the seeds 'open'.

Add the sugar, raisins, cinnamon, salt and the figs and boil all together until the soup thickens.

Grate the walnuts, dissolve the flour in some broth, cook the sesame seeds in a the pan and add all these ingredients in the Varvara.

Serve with pomegranate seeds.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Yellow Pumpkin

Eastern Romelia

Ingredients for 4 people

4 large pieces of yellow pumpkin

1 cup sugar

water

to serve:

3 tablespoons honey

grated walnuts

cinnamon

Directions

Clean the pumpkin pieces from the fibers and the seeds.

Put them in a pan with the sugar and some water.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees, until they melt. Serve with honey, walnuts and cinnamon.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer