Macedonian Halva With Spoon Sweet and Cinnamon
This post isn’t so much of a recipe but more so instructions on how to assemble a dessert from ready to eat products. The star of this dessert is Sesame Halva, something us Greeks called Makedonikos Halva. This treat is made by pulverizing sesame seeds and adding honey and often some kind of nut (almond, […]
Sokolatopita
This dessert is for chocolate lovers – an expression of decadence! Sokolatopita is what Greeks call this syrup drenched chocolate cake. It contains cocoa powder, then the cake is drenched as Greeks do, with a syrup contains that contains chocolate as well. For fear of anyone saying this doesn’t have enough chocolate, it’s topped with […]
Ekmek Kataifi
One summer while in Greece I had the pleasure of also visiting Constantinople (Istanbul) for a second time. Prior to heading to this huge foodie destination, I knew (and wanted) to sample the many desserts and sweets that were on offer. This post is more about a dessert that’s taken another form from it’s original […]
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
I miss traveling. Planes, trains and automobiles but mostly planes. Pre-Covid days, air travel was becoming a pain because of security precautions, check-in deadlines, inclement weather. I’ve flown in business class on occasion and yes, the experience is better than in economy but air travel has a certain degree of stress. Here in Toronto, we […]
Cream Filled Diples
December is almost here and you’re planning (or already) making your holiday treats. We may not have as many visitors or visiting as many people this year but there’s nothing to stop you from gifting a box of cookies and pastries. Besides Melomakarona and Kourabiedes (standard Greek Christmas cookies), many families from the Peloponnese will […]
Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Before Covid-19, It was all rush, rush, rush. In North America, all I saw were people lining up at a coffee shop or waiting in the drive-thru lane to pick up a bagel, breakfast sandwich/burrito, donuts or muffins. In Europe, people actually sit in a cafe, order and leisurely have their coffee and treat. In […]
Svinghi
Here in Toronto, we have a large and diverse Greek diaspora, boasting of a Greek population that resettled here from all over Greece. The first time I had Svinghi, they were made and given to me by Kathy Hourdas, a lady from Kalymnos, one of the islands in the Dodecanese. A few years ago, I […]
Pavlova With Lemon Curd and Fruit
Named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this New Zealand-created dessert is easy and the combinations are endless! On your plate, a pavlova consists of a meringue nest (the base of the dessert) followed by a pastry cream, lemon curd and topped with fruit. This dish takes little time and you’ll impress your guests this summer […]
Kourkoubinia
I know it’s cliched but the simple things in life are often the most satisfying. In this instance, Kourkoubinia hit the spot. Kourkoubinia are little logs of rolled phyllo that get fried until golden then dunked in syrup. They are crunchy, they are sweet and my oh my…addictive! Think of these as sweet phyllo bites. […]
Short Cut Cherry Spoon Sweet
My favourite of the spoon sweets is Sour Cherry (Vissino glyko). It’s not as sweet as the others and it pairs well with so many things like ice cream, yogurt, the best topping for cheesecake and I’ve even used it as part of a BBQ sauce! Like many spoon sweet recipes, they are easy […]
