Zaatar Palmiers

Ingredients:

1 pack (375g) Puff Pastry  

1 cup Zaatar mix (Thyme, Sumac & Sesame seeds)
½ cup Olive Oil (enough to make a spreadable   consistency)

Preheat oven gaz mark 6. Roll the pastry, on lightly dusted flour surface, into a rectangle. I use the ready rolled pastry; unroll the pastry flat.

Mix the zaatar with the oil. Spread the mix in a thin even layer over the pastry.

Roll up ends from the short side of the pastry to meet in the middle.

Cover with cling film or foil & refrigerate for 30min.

Cut the roll into 1cm thick slice. Place into a greaseproof lined baking sheet leaving space between each palmier.

Bake for 12-15 min until they are crisps and golden.

Ardishawkeh ( Stuffed Artichokes )

Ingredients:

400g Artichoke Bottoms (about 9 pcs) (I use frozen)

1 cup Peas

1 Carrot peeled & diced into small cubes
1 Vegetable stock cube
1/2 cup Lemon juice
2-3 tbsp Flour
1 ltr Water
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Place artichoke at a room temperature for 2 hrs to thaw. In a saucepan put in the artichoke, peas, dice carrots, veg stock cube & water. Bring it to boil & then simmer for 20 min or till it is done.

 

Drain and keep the stock aside. In a shallow baking dish (Pyrex) , place artichokes side by side. Fill in with the peas and carrots.

 

To the stock add lemon juice & the flour & bring it to boil till it thickens.
Pour the thick sauce over the artichokes .

 

Bake, uncovered, in oven at gas mark 6 for 20 min.

Serve as started or next to boiled rice as main course. 

Almond Crescents

  A simple, soft, delicious recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Ground Almond
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Butter
3 Eggs
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Vanilla


  Mix all ingredients together until it becomes a workable dough.
Pinch a small amount, roll it between your hands and form a crescent shape.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350C (gas mark 5) for 10 – 12min. 

Let it cool and sprinkle with icing sugar. Sahtein!

Buche de Noel a la Tonia (Tonia's Christmas Log)

   Every Year, the day before Christmas, Mum spend all day in the kitchen making Buche de Noel. She will make loads a give out to neighbours, friends  and family. She use to make chocolate ones & white ones.
I am making some and decorating them the way she use to do it.

Ingredients:
Cake:
5 Eggs
1 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
Vanilla
If Chocolate: add 3 Tablespoon Cocoa sifted + 1 Tablespoon Water ( or Rum)

Cream Filling:
1 1/2 cup Milk  ( if chocolate add 2 tsp of Cocoa to the Milk)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Tbsp Flour
2 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
 Vanilla

Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla then add flour & baking powder.  Pour in rectangular tray (32x21cm) lined with a greaseproof baking sheet. If you like the buche thin, divide the cake mix into a rectangular tray (32x21cm) & square tray (21x21cm) both lined with greaseproof paper ( this is what I usually do).
 Bake in medium hot ( gas mark 5) oven for 15 mins or until sponge-like to the touch.

Remove from oven, roll the cake with the baking sheet & leave it aside to cool down.
Meantime, prepare the cream. Mix egg, sugar & flour. Add the milk and place in saucepan on low heat and stir continously. Once the cream thickened, remove from heat and add butter. Leave it aside to cool and  stir the mixture from time to time till it cool down.

Once cake is cold, peel off the baking paper carefully & straight away spread the filling cream on the cake from inside to out. Re-roll cake.

Place, seam-side down, on serving plate. Spread cream on the top of the log. Run a fork up and down the icing until the icing resembles tree. Dust the Christmas log with cocoa powder and icing sugar. Sprinkle on top a little bit of coconut. Decorate the log with Glace cherry if you like or any festive decoration.
Put it in fridge for 2hrs before serving. 

3eid Melad Majeed!! Joyeux Noel!! Merry Christmas!!

Chocolate Stars (no cooking)

   I came across this recipe; I tried it out of curiosity to see how all the ingredients would mix together without cooking.... The result: it works & it is very tasty & very easy.

Ingredients:
250g Ground Almonds
150g Caster Sugar
120g Dark Chocolate ( or Milk Chocolate)
2-3 tbsp Brandy
2-3 tbsp Water

Melt chocolate. Mix all ingredients in together to make soft dough.

Roll out the dough about ¾ cm thick and cut out stars (or any shape you like). Place the cookies on a baking sheet & let them dry overnight. 
 Yummy! Enjoy!

Baileys White Chocolate Truffles

  One of my favorite Truffle recipes...

Ingredients:

125g Belgian White Chocolate
2 Tablespoon Double Cream
2 Tablespoon Irish Cream
2 Tablespoon Butter

Flaked Almond for coating ( optional)

Coarsely chop the chocolate. Melt Chocolate and butter.remove from heat. 
Add the cream and Baileys. Mix well. Chill the chocolate mixture 1-2 hr.
Spoon out a bit of mixture; shape into ball. Roll in flaked almonds.
Keep refrigerated until serving.

Truffes aux Dates a la Me’me’ ( Me’me’’s Dates Truffles)

     Christmas Truffles that Me’me’ used to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups Dates pitted & chopped
1/2 cup Walnuts chopped
1/2 cup Rice Crispies (or crushed biscuits)
2 tbsp Butter

A handful of Rice crispies crushed  for coating ( optional)
 

Put dates and butter in microwave for 30 sec, so dates become soft & easier to knead. Add walnuts and rice crispies and mix all together. Using a small spoon, scoop up a bit of the mixture; roll into small ball.

  It can be served as it is, or can be coated with some crushed rice crispies.  

Chill before serving. Sahtein!