Greek Walnut Sponge Cake: Karithopita

13 Jun 2012 14 Comments

by georgiecakes in Bake, Cake, Dessert, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Sweet Tags: , , , , , ,

This walnut sponge cake takes me back to some of the fondest memories of my youth. My mother would make this cake on special occasions, birthdays, holidays and when we had visitors… though not as often as I would have liked her too.

It’s got many of the same ingredients you’ll find in Greek rich pastries, like baklava and melomakarona, made with cinnamon, cloves and walnuts but in a delicious sponge cake. Once I moved to New England I began making the cake myself, because my mother didn’t live near by for me to coax her into making.

I crave this cake, it’s so good. So good I have a “sweet crawl” ritual where I cruise to Astoria’s best Greek bakeries just to get my fix. Each of these Greek bakeries makes there own version of the walnut sponge cake, but I’m currently hooked on Martha’s Country Bakery adaptation, with very close runners up at Artopolis and Omonia Cafe.  It’s worth a visit and I’m so sure you’ll find something to satisfy your sweet cravings too.

Recently I attended a family picnic in Brooklyn and I was introduced to a new version of this old classic.   This particular recipe of the walnut sponge cake had the classic spicy, spongy and nutty texture, but there was something else, another layer of crunchiness that pushed your taste buds over the edge.   To my surprise it was the bread crumbs, really. You’ve got to try this… at least once.

Karithopita: Greek Walnut Sponge Cake

Here’s what you’ll need: I used a 12″ x 2″ round pan, yields 24 pieces

Walnut Cake:

8 medium eggs (both the yolks and egg whites are used in separate steps in directions)

2 cups chopped walnuts

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup plain bread crumbs (I used Melba toast and ground it up in the food processor)

1/4 cup brandy

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon clove powder

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Syrup:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Juice of one lemon

1 cinnamon stick

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place rack in center position.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the sugar, the egg yolks and both canola and olive oils on medium speed for five minutes. Add the bread crumbs brandy, cinnamon, clove and vanilla and mix on low speed for one minute.

In a separate bowl gently beat the egg whites with a hand whisk, add the flour, baking powder and walnuts and mix gently.  Add the flour and egg white mixture to the sugar and egg yolk mixture and blend in the electric mixer blend for one minute.

Pour into a cake pan and bake for 50 minutes. The cake is done when golden brown in color, or insert a toothpick into the center of the cake,  when the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 1 hour.

For the Syrup:

In a large saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the cinnamon stick and lemon juice, let simmer for 10 – 12  minutes, until syrup is heavy and thick. Remove from heat, set aside until ready to use.

Score the cake into diamond shapes, cutting with a sharp knife vertically, then horizontally, making sure the knife cuts all the way down through the very bottom of the cake.

Pour syrup with a ladle onto cake making sure to pour in between slices so cake absorbs the syrup.  Allow to soak for several hours or overnight. This cake taste best the next day after the flavors have had a chance to soak in and compliment one another.

I never thought I could fall deeper into love with something I already adored, but it happened. This is my new favorite Greek dessert at the moment. I hope you decide try it too.

* Another inspiration for making this dessert was that the really kind folks at California Walnuts sent me a free bag of Walnuts in the mail. All the opinions here are my own. I think California Walnuts are super tasty and really fresh!

Citrus Love with Orange Peel ‘Sweet of the Spoon’

07 Jan 2012 36 Comments

by georgiecakes in Bloghop Love, Canning, Dessert, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Sweet Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

As a child I would watch my mother baking in the kitchen, all the while waiting for her to call me over – her “little helper”. How I loved to watch my mother bake, I was amazed as she created works of art. One of my favorite desserts she would make was a sweet of the spoon, in Greece called “γλυκο του κουταλιου”, where she simmered assorted fruit peels into a delectable dessert.

Citrus Love

As a Greek tradition, it is customary to offer this luscious spoon sweet to your guest upon arriving, served alongside water and Greek coffee.  My mother carried this tradition well into my adulthood.  Today for #citruslove I am inviting you into my kitchen and passing along this beautiful tradition, serving you “Gliko Koutaliou Portokali” also known as “Orange Peel Sweet of the Spoon”.

Greek Sweet of the Spoon

Here’s what you’ll need…

Makes 2 – 12 ounce mason jars of sweet preserves

8 navel oranges

2  cups of sugar

1 1/2 cups of water

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Preparing the orange peel:

Clean by washing and brushing your oranges. Slice and remove the peel in strips, removing all of the oranges external rind using a knife or a peeler.  There’s no need to remove all the pith, keeping some of the pith adds to the flavor.  Continue to cut the orange peel rind into 1/2 inch thin strips – julienne style. (save the inside of the orange for eating, smoothie or juicing).

Preparing Orange Peels

Note: Traditionally in Greece when preserving large strips of fruit peels, like oranges, grapefruits and watermelons, it’s routine to sew and thread the fruit rinds into a circle, similar to the photo below.  I also used a skewer to speed up the process, though this leaves large holes in your fruit.

Threading Orange Peels

Place the peels in a large saucepan with enough cold water, be sure to cover about 2 inches.  The peels will naturally want to float to the top so I placed a dish atop to fully submerge them in the water. Let soak for 12 hours or overnight. You will need to pour the water out, rinse the orange peels and refill saucepan with cold water. Repeat this process approximately every 4 hours.

Drying the Orange Peels

After the peels have soaked, pour out the water, rinse the peels and refill saucepan with water.  Place saucepan on stove at medium high heat and bring to a boil, cooking for 5 minutes from when water begins to boil.  Drain and rinse the peels with cold water.  Repeat boiling and rinsing process two additional times for three minutes each time.  Rinse the orange peels and strain in colander removing excess water.

In order to remove excess moisture, place orange peels on a flat surface atop of a towel to dry anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Preparing the sweet of the spoon:

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add orange peels and allow to simmer on a low boil for 20 minutes until a syrup begins to form and thickens slightly. My mother wanted me to tell you – it should be thick like honey, enough to coat your spoon, hence sweet of the spoon.  Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, add the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, stir until combined.

The Orange Peel Sweet of the Spoon

Allow to cool completely before storing in sterilized jars.  Since I was serving this for a dinner party and gave some as party favors in small 4 ounce jars, I bypassed the canning process.

There are so many ways to serve this luscious sweet syrupy dessert – with a scone, on toast or simply by the spoonful.  Do as the Greeks do and serve it as  your first course at a dinner party.  But… this Greek got adventurous and served dessert last, graciously set atop a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream with a pistachio orange oatmeal cookie – (recipe soon to follow).  I wanted my guests blabbering sweet nothings at their departure.

Ice Cream Orange Peel Topping

I’m part of bloghop, where the food blog community connects with other blogs to share recipes and spread the love. This month, January is #citruslove month!

You’re more than welcome to join us in #citruslove fun by simply adding your recipe at the end of this bloghop!  Be sure to link back to this post, so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove – have Fun & OPA!

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Eat These Snowballs

29 Nov 2010 6 Comments

by georgiecakes in Bake, Cookie, Dessert, Food, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Holiday, Sweet Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Every holiday season the kitchen begins to resemble a powdery blizzard of flour and sugar slightly dusting the counters and floors with its snow like velvetiness.   A reminder of what is soon to come with winter’s wonderland,  I begin my Christmas season making several batches of all my favorite holiday cookies, and Kourambiedes are at the top of the list.

Greek Holiday Cookies

These delicious crumbly short bread cookies, covered in a gluttonous amount of white powdered sugar have me reminiscing of childhood Christmas’s visiting relatives, sleigh rides and snowball fights.

Let it Snow...

Some things will never change!

These scrumptious treats are a traditional Greek holiday cookie and I’m sending them from our table to yours to enjoy this holiday season!

Καλά Χριστούγεννα

Merry Christmas!

Kourambiedes

Kourambiedes

Here’s what you’ll need…   2 – 9 x 11 Cookie sheets, Flour Sifter, Oven Temp: 350 degrees, Bake time: 25 minutes.  This recipe makes approximately 25 cookies.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Cookie Dough:

1 – 1 Lbs. Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter

4 – Cups Flour

½ – Cup Powdered Sugar

1 – Teaspoon Baking Powder

2 – Egg Yolks

Topping:

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Allow butter to reach room temperature.  Beat the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer for 15 minutes, until white peaks are reached.

Butter Sugar Whipping

Slowly add egg yolks one at a time to butter mixture beating for five minutes.  Combine baking powder and flour mix well, then add to mixture one cup at a time mixing well in between each cup.

Cooling

Form round disc shape and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes or until a golden color.  Remove from oven and let cool for one hour.   Once cooled use flour shifter to drench cookies with powdered sugar until overflowing.

Kourambiedes Sugared Up

Growing Up Baklava…

16 Apr 2009 11 Comments

by georgiecakes in About, Bake, Chef, Dessert, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Holiday, Phyllo Dough, Sweet Tags: , , , , , , ,

As a child I would circle the dining room table pretending to play while impatiently watching my mother baking in the kitchen, all the while waiting for her to call me over – her “little helper”. How I loved to watch my mother bake, amazed as her delicate hands created culinary works of art. All of this done without the traditional tools of the trade. Nope, you wouldn’t find a measuring cup or spoons in her kitchen, everything done the good ‘ole fashioned way – keen eyes and precise hands.

Often times I would interrupt her to offer my assistance, stirring the pot of gold laden honey with citrus essence and cinnamon sticks churning into that anointing glaze for her infamous baklava. The house would fill with its precious aroma as I peered over the large pot. I would imagine the children marching over from the playground across the street, seduced by the trance of this scrumptious fragrance as though the pied piper himself was leading them back into my mother’s kitchen.

Meanwhile, more deliciousness oozed from the oven smothering my senses with the intoxicating sweet-smelling phyllo dough mixed with a fusion of sugar and mélange of spices… here’s my little piece heaven while growing up and my inspiration to be baker.

baklava_main

This special family heirloom recipe of baklava comes from the Peloponnese part of Greece. It’s easier than it sounds and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Here’s what you’ll need… A baking pan: 9 x 11 Baking Dish, Oven Temp: 350 degrees, Bake time: 45 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 27 pieces.

Baklava filling:
1 16oz package of phyllo dough
1 pound of Walnuts chopped
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ pound of sweet unsalted butter melted

Baklava Syrup:
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon peel wedge “1/8 inch slice”
½ cup of honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine chopped walnuts and cinnamon mix well and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt all the butter.

Layer 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Spread a layer of the walnut cinnamon mixture until phyllo dough is completely covered.

Repeat this process three times using only 5 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with melted butter and spreading another layer of walnut cinnamon mixture in between.

The final layer of phyllo dough should be 12 to 15 sheets each sheet brushed with butter.

It’s important to cut the baklava first in 4 diagonal columns, followed by 7 rows to give you the traditional rectangular dessert pieces, (see illustration in the photo below).

Place the pan in the oven and let bake for 45 minutes.

While the baklava is baking, begin preparing the baklava syrup. In a saucepan combine water, sugar, honey, cinnamon and lemon peel. Let simmer for 10 minutes until syrup has reached a boiling point and molasses like thickness, but not caramelized. Let the syrup cool until room temperature.

Once the baklava has baked and phyllo dough has reached a golden flaky color, remove from oven and let cool for an hour. Once cooled, pour syrup evenly over the baklava, let stand overnight to absorb well into the baklava.

Additional photos below for preparing Baklava.

Layering the pan with phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

baklava-layering-in-pan

Cut the baklava diagonally in 4 columns and 7 rows to give you the traditional rectangular dessert pieces.

Baklava Cutting Prior to Baking

Baklava Cutting Prior to Baking

While the baklava is baking prepare the baklava syrup.

baklava-syrupy-honey

Enjoy!

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