scratch-made baked goods
This perfectly moist semolina cake is a must try Greek dessert. It is fluffy, scented with ground mastic and is topped with coconut flakes. What is Ravani? Ravani also known as Revani, Samali and Basbousa is a semolina based sheet cake popular across Turkey, Middle …
Indulge in this creamy cheesecake which features a crispy and buttery kataifi pastry base and is topped with walnuts, pistachios and honey syrup. What’s Kataifi? Kataifi, in Greek (καταϊφι) is a shredded phyllo pastry used for a variety of desserts mainly in Turkey (kadayif), Middle …
An insanely chocolaty, soft and rich brown butter brownie with crinkled tops and crispy edges. These crème de cacao brownies are seriously addicting!
This recipe is dedicated to all the chocoholics looking for the ultimate chocolaty treat. I know, there are thousand of brownie recipes out there but this one here, differs. Why is that? This brownies use crème de cacao liqueur combined with brown butter. Not only these ingredients elevate the chocolate flavor but they provide an insanely rich and nutty taste which will leave you blown away after the first bite.
The first step to make these brownies is to brown the butter. Next, you mix the hot brown butter with the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and crème de cacao. Moving forward, you beat the sugar with eggs and incorporate the chocolate mixture. The dry ingredients go in last and it’s time to bake. After baking and completely cooling down the brownies, you may garnish them with melted chocolate and flaky salt. Enjoy!
This is not yet another brownies recipe! They are soft, chewy and a little boozy. This recipe is about to become your favorite one. If you try these crème de cacao brownies, we would love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below. Happy Baking!
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Galatopita is a traditional custard pie baked until golden brown and topped with sugar and cinnamon. This pie is creamy and insanely rich. It’s always a crowd-pleasing dessert! A Traditional Easter Dessert As Orthodox Easter is approaching, I wanted to share this special dessert which …
Galaktoboureko is a delicate dessert featuring a creamy custard, layers of crispy and buttery phyllo pastry and rich syrup! What is Galaktoboureko? Galaktoboureko (Greek: γαλακτομπούρεκο) is a Greek dessert which combines a creamy custard with sheets of phyllo pastry. While galaktoboureko is still hot, it …
Portokalopita is not your typical cake. It is loaded with fresh orange juice, orange zest and phyllo pastry soaked in an orange infused syrup. A rich, moist, no-mixer dessert!
Portokalopita, (pronounced por-to-kah-lo-peeta) might sound bizarre at first but it is definitely one of the Greek desserts you have to try. As mentioned in previous blog posts pita (Greek: πίτα) stands for pie in Greek. Portokalopita literally translates to orange pie. However, what we have here is a cake; and it is not your average cake. The origin of portokalopita is not clear but the most popular theory is that Greek housewives did not want to waste leftover phyllo pastry so they found a way to incorporate it into a dessert! How cool is that?!
Its texture resembles that of a bread pudding. In place of flour, portokalopita uses phyllo dough. When phyllo is dehydrated, it works as a binding component that holds the batter together and gives volume to the cake. In a few words, portokalopita is rich, perfectly syrupy and packed with orange flavor. Most importantly, you don’t have to worry about not tearing the phyllo dough. The messier, the better! If you are intimidated when it comes to baking with phyllo dough this is the ideal recipe for you.
On a medium saucepan add the granulated sugar, water, orange juice and rind, cinnamon stick and cognac. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from fire and set aside to completely cool.
Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Place phyllo dough sheets on a clean surface and cut into stripes using a sharp knife. Place the phyllo stripes loosely into a large baking sheet (see photo 1). Ensure that the phyllo stripes do not stick to each other. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the phyllo stripes halfway baking.Remove from the oven and set aside to chill.
Preheat oven to 325 F (160C). Grease a 10 inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray or olive oil and set aside. In a large bowl whisk the sugar and eggs for 2 minutes until light and frothy. Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla extract, orange zest, baking powder and baking soda. Stir all together until each ingredient is fully incorporated.
[easy-image-collage id=3325]Break the dehydrated phyllo stripes into small pieces with your hands. Carefully, fold in the phyllo pieces in thirds trying to maintain as much volume as possible (see photo 2 & 3). Transfer the batter into the prepared springform pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Top the cake with orange slices (see photo 4). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Immediately, pour over the cake the cold syrup using a ladle. Allow cake to absorb the syrup for at least least 40 minutes. Remove from pan, cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
[easy-image-collage id=3330]You can make the syrup and bake the phyllo dough in advance but the cake itself should be prepared and baked on the same day.
Portokalopita will keep fresh refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
We do not suggest freezing portokalopita as it will become soggy while thawing.
Portokalopita is typically served cold but you can also serve it warm with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream. Try both ways and stick to your favorite. From our experience, portokalopita tastes even better the next day. If you decide to give this recipe a try, make sure to leave us a comment below. We would love your feedback. Happy Baking!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @siftnwhisk on Instagram and hashtag it #siftnwhisk.
Kokakia are the Greek version of profiterole. These airy cakey cookies filled with pastry cream get soaked in syrup and are topped with chocolate glaze! This dessert is a fit for all occasions. Happy New Year! Yessss! We made it to 2021! I want to …
Greek vasilopita is a delicious cake prepared at New Year’s eve to celebrate the arrival of the new year! The cake is flavored with orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg and it has a hidden lucky coin. The Greek Custom of New Year’s Cake Vasilopita is …
You only need four ingredients and less than an hour to make these soft and crunchy Nutella cookies stuffed with crushed candy canes! These cookies are simple yet undeniably delicious and festive!
Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner? This month flew by so quickly compared to the rest of the year. I don’t know about you, but till now, I have baked dozens of Christmas cookies (including these Nutella Cookies), cakes and brownies. However, cookies are still my favorite festive treat to bake and share with my loved ones. Having said this, I kept for the end the ultimate Christmas cookie; Nutella cookies stuffed with candy canes! For those who do not have the luxury of time but still want to enjoy or gift good cookies to family and friends, this recipe is for you!
First things first, I haven’t yet met a single person who does not love creamy Nutella spread. However, if Nutella is not your thing we can still be friends! Have a look at these cookie recipes for delicious Greek melomakarona or kourampiedes. Lastly, this post is not in any way sponsored or affiliated with Nutella brand (although I wish it was!).
The rich and creamy texture of Nutella spread combined with crushed candy canes gives you a luscious chocolaty taste with subtle peppermint hints. I’m a firm believer that simple desserts with few ingredients can easily compete with fancy extravagant sweets. These Nutella stuffed cookies do not lack at all in flavor and it will satisfy your Holiday cravings!
The whole process takes less than an hour and no mixer is required.
Firstly, beat the egg with a hand whisker in a bowl. Secondly, add the Nutella and stir well till it’s fully incorporated. Gradually fold in the self raising flour using a spatula.
Once the dough is ready, gently stir in the crushed candy canes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. There is no need to chill the cookie dough overnight, but make sure not to skip this step. Chilled cookie dough is easier to shape.
While the cookie dough is chilling, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Scoop about a full tablespoon of cookie dough and mold it into a ball using your palms. Place the cookie on the lined baking sheet. Repeat the same steps for the remaining cookie dough.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. The cookies should look lightly browned on the edges. Be careful not to overbake as this will result in a hard cookie. The cookies will continue to bake after you take them out of the oven. Let the Nutella cookies cool down completely on a cooling rack.
Enjoy these chewy Nutella cookies with a cup of milk or hot cocoa!
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Karidopita is a perfectly moist and fragrant all year round cake. It features a cinnamon and clove spiced filling and it is topped with a luscious chocolate ganache and chopped walnuts. What is Karidopita? Karidopita / Karithopita (Greek: Καρυδόπιτα) is a Greek dessert, made with walnuts …