Patience is a tricky thing, I feel it growing with every year I gain, but it still manages to drive me crazy at times. After about one year of working on my cookbook , eat in my kitchen , developing the recipes, cooking, baking and shooting them all by myself, then going through a long process of
German Easter Bread, braided
A traditional Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki) recipe! Discover all the secrets behind making the fluffiest, tastiest traditional Tsoureki with this step by step, no fail recipe!
If there is a smell that reminds me of Easter time definitely is the smell of fresh baked tsoureki. The superb sweet aroma of mastic and the nutty aroma of mahlepi make this Greek Easter bread not only delicious but also unique.
Dying Easter eggs with all-natural ingredients is easier than you think and fun for all ages!
This Italian Dessert, rich with eggs and creamy ricotta cheese is also known as Neapolitan Easter Pie to some. The best way I can describe Pastiera is like a firmer, more decadent version of rice pudding that melts in your mouth.
Koulourakia are traditional Greek cookies which along with tsourekia are the "trademark" of Greek Orthodox Easter. Koulourakia are vanilla and orange scented cookies, crispy outside and soft inside, not overly sweet but full in flavor.
Love this recipe..My mom used to bake them in coffee tins...they were so yummy! It's Easter again and who can resist a paska bun??? In a blender combine-
If there is a smell that reminds me of Easter time definitely is the smell of fresh baked tsoureki. The superb sweet aroma of mastic and the nutty aroma of mahlepi make this Greek Easter bread not only delicious but also unique.
An Easter dessert that teaches children about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
A traditional Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki) recipe! Discover all the secrets behind making the fluffiest, tastiest traditional Tsoureki with this step by step, no fail recipe!
My Grandma Nardi’s bread with dyed Easter eggs represents family and tradition. I fondly remember how she taught me the recipe when I was a little girl. —Pat Merkovich, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
There are three cultures which have a big influence on my life, the German which I grew up with and the Maltese and the American through my boyfriend and his family. Our life is a daily mix of different traditions, habits, mentalities and languages, this is a gift to me but it also brings a lot of p
An enormous braided loaf, scented with nutmeg and lemon, peppered with almonds and plump golden raisins
There are many versions of the traditional Italian Easter dessert, Pasteria, featuring my favorite ingredient, creamy ricotta. This Neapolitan version uses arborio rice instead of the more traditional wheat berries – both signifying spring and rebirth. This delicious creamy version is like a gourmet rice pudding – the blend of rice, ricotta and cinnamon melt ...
The fluffiest and crunchiest traditional Greek Easter cookies recipe (koulourakia) you have ever made! These sweet little Greek Easter cookies are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive to eat! Discover how to bake them to perfection with this traditional Greek recipe.
An enormous braided loaf, scented with nutmeg and lemon, peppered with almonds and plump golden raisins
Placek (plah-sek) in Polish just means cake, but placek around Buffalo (and probably other cities with a high Polish population) refers to a sweet yeast bread topped with sugary crumble, with or without golden raisins served on Easter. It seems like paczki have found their way around the blog world fairly easily (I assume because everyone has an obsession with doughnuts and things cooked in hot oil), but you hardly see placek, which is a shame! Placek dough is a unique combination of a fermented yeast sponge (warm milk, yeast, a bit of sugar and flour) combined with a creamed butter, sugar, flour and egg mixture. Even though I've made so many other bread recipes over the years, the smell of yeast still reminds me of placek - every year when my mom would bring out the biggest bowl in the kitchen, I knew it was time to make Easter placek. Although the representation of yeast breads on this blog isn't much, I love working with yeast a great deal, but the problem with bread is that it makes quite a bit and stales quickly. Around holidays this seems to be an easier issue to tackle since more people are around to eat things. I know Easter isn't for a couple of weeks, but I think yeast breads can seem daunting to people so it might be easier to spread the workload over a few days. This bread can also be wrapped well and frozen, then taken out as necessary for eating and giving away, meaning it can be made ahead of time! Placek is the kind of bread that begs to be spread with butter - it's not like a moist sour cream coffee cake. It has a drier crumb, making it an even better partner to coffee or tea. Traditionally, my mom always added sliced almonds to the crumb topping and golden raisins to the bread dough but I've also seen recipes without them. Either way, I'm proud to present this placek recipe - a true family tradition I can't imagine an Easter morning without! Easter Placek Sponge: 2 cups milk, around 105 degrees to 115 degrees F. 2 packages active dry yeast, or 5 teaspoons 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 cups of flour In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the flour, then cover the bowl and let the sponge rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to an hour. Dough: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon salt Dash of ground nutmeg Zest of one orange or lemon 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 to 1 1/2 cups golden raisins In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs in one at a time and beat until fluffy. Add in the salt, nutmeg, zest and 2 cups of flour, then beat well. When the sponge has risen, add that to the creamed mixture along with the last 2 cups of flour and the golden raisins, then knead or use the dough hook on a mixer for 5 minutes, until you have a very smooth, elastic, sticky dough. Using greased hands, place the dough into a large greased or buttered bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, an hour to 2 1/2 hours. You can also refrigerate the dough at this point up to 3 days. When you're ready to shape the loaves, let the dough come to room temperature first. Crumble topping: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 to 2 cups sliced almonds Cut the butter into the sugar and flour until it's fully mixed in and crumbly, then stir in the almonds. When the dough has risen, use greased or wet hands to remove portions of it and divide it among 4 greased 9x5" loaf pans (or mini loaf and cake pans, as I like to do. My mom tended to do 1 9x5" and 2 9" cake pans, it doesn't really matter, use what works for you!) Divide the crumb mixture over the loaves, pressing in lightly (you will almost definitely have some left over, I always do and you can see how much I use.) Cover the pans, then let the dough rise until doubled or until they're almost risen to the top. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and when the loaves have risen, bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let them cool on wire racks, then invert them and cool completely before wrapping and freezing or keeping airtight at room temperature. I won't lie and say there's an easy way to get these out of the pan without all of the crumbs coming off, but that's why the crumb recipe makes so much! Enjoy sliced and slathered with butter :)
With Orthodox Easter coming up this weekend, I thought I would share with you traditional Greek Easter cookies, also known as “Koulourakia”. My Yia Yia (grandma) and I used to make these every year as a little girl, and then once I had to be gluten free I stopped enjoying them. I’ve missed them so
My Easter plans are the same as Jesus: Go out Friday and come back Monday.
There are three cultures which have a big influence on my life, the German which I grew up with and the Maltese and the American through my boyfriend and his family. Our life is a daily mix of different traditions, habits, mentalities and languages, this is a gift to me but it also brings a lot of p
These are literally my favorite cookies of all time. All time. Koulourakia are a traditional cookie served at Easter time. There are a bunch of different recipes for this cookie, but basically it…
Many atheists and agnostics today insistently argue that it is altogether possible for non-believers in God to be morally upright. They resent the
With Good Friday and Easter being a week away, I decided to start with my Easter baking with some hot cross buns. Growing up in Singapore meant that I hardly had the chance to go close to these bun…
Explore Easter Island with our 5-day itinerary! Discover best places to visit, how to save costs, where to stay, and more.
Meet the old-school star of the holiday spread.
This Easter try out this aromatic little Lazarakia (Greek Lazarus breads) recipe and combine tradition with family cooking creating wonderful memories for your family!
Greek Easter time is when all my favorite Greek goodies come out. Last week I shared my favorite cookie of all time, koulourakia, Greek Easter cookies. This week, it’s all about tsoureki, Gre…
Here's a classic Sweet Bread recipe my family loves that will make your holiday even more special. It's soft and moist on the inside and tastes so nostalgic!
A traditional Greek sesame seed bread rings recipe! If you've ever found yourself walking the streets of Athens or Thessalonikis then you can't have missed on all the street vendors selling these popular sesame koulouria! Discover how to make your own with this original recipe!
Koulourakia are traditional Greek cookies which along with tsourekia are the "trademark" of Greek Orthodox Easter. Koulourakia are vanilla and orange scented cookies, crispy outside and soft inside, not overly sweet but full in flavor.
This Italian Dessert, rich with eggs and creamy ricotta cheese is also known as Neapolitan Easter Pie to some. The best way I can describe Pastiera is like a firmer, more decadent version of rice pudding that melts in your mouth.
