Ray’s Kanafe

In honour of my best cooking buddy Ray Chaiban’s mum’s 89th birthday, I give you Ray’s Kanefe (also known as Jerusalem streetfood), my favourite dessert in the world, which his mum taught him. 

160 gm unsalted butter
500 gm crushed corn flakes
5 cups of milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup semolina
600 ml thickened cream
1 tbsp corn flour
1tsb Rose Water
500 gm mozzarella cheese

1. Melt butter and mix with crushed corn flakes.
2. Place 1/2 on bottom of tray. Reserve the rest for the top.
3. Heat milk and sugar, semolina, cream and cornflour and cook until thick. Pour onto tray and add rest of crumbs on top. Cook 180 until set.
4. Make a sugar syrup with 1 cup water 1 cup water and rose water.

This dessert needs to be served warm to hot serve syrup on top of individual pieces.

Italian Hazelnut Torte

Recipe for Italian Hazelnut Torte from Sylvia Christofis.

150 gms unsalted butter cubed
160 gms dark chocolate (70%)
Pinch of salt flakes (I use pink Murray River)
1 shot glass of Italian Espresso Coffee
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 Tbs Frangelico or rum
5 eggs
250 gms brown sugar
150 gms Hazelnut meal
1 handful roasted chopped hazelnuts
Fresh or frozen Raspberries to serve

Preheat oven 180 or 160 (fan forced).
Line a 24cm springform tin with baking paper , spray edges
1. Melt butter, chocolate and salt over heatproof bowl over simmering water, remove from heat when melted.
2. Whisk together hot espresso coffee and cocoa powder until lump free. I use a hand whisk. Stir in vanilla paste and Frangelico then add to melted chocolate and mix together.
3. Crack eggs into bowl, add brown sugar, and beat by hand until creamy. Pour into the chocolate mixture, then stir in chopped hazelnuts and hazel meal, stir together.
4. Pour into tin and bake 45-55 min until edges are firm but feels soft in the middle. Allow to cool in tin, remove after 1 hour or when ready to use, dust with extra cocoa and Raspberries. Enjoy !

Sylvia Christofis

Easy Tiramisu Egg Free Old Sicilian Recipe

Easy Tiramisu egg free old Sicilian recipe. Love those verbal, hand me down recipes.

800 mls cream whipped with
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 cups espresso coffee mixed with 1 cup hot chocolate
2 packets savoiardi biscuits

 

Sylvia Christofis

 

 

Some exciting news!

I am very excited to announce that I will be running Sylvia Can Cook’s Mediterranean Cooking Classes in Melbourne!

These will be hands-on classes for groups of 3-4 people commencing in mid-March 2015.

See photo preview of Pici hand-made pasta two ways and baklava cups, two examples of the kinds of dishes that will be on offer for you to learn to cook confidently.

Classes and times will be posted soon.
Inbox me for enquiries and bookings.
Email: sylviacancook67@gmail.com

Mint Choc Ice-cream Tart

You will need a flan tin with a removable base

1 pkt of choc ripple biscuits

2 litres of vanilla ice-cream

Green food coloring

Creme de menthe or peppermint essence

60 grams of butter melted

3 pkts peppermint crisp

1. Crush biscuits and mix through melted butter

2. Press mixture into tin and place into freezer while preparing ice-cream

3. In bowl mix 1 and a half litres of the ice-cream with creme de menthe to taste and three drops of food coloring

4. Pour into crumb case and freeze foor hours minimum

5. When ready to serve place chopped up peppermint crisps.

Enjoy, very addictive!

Sylvia Christofis

Easy Cookie Dough Mix

Ingredients

500 gm butter

1 cup sugar

1 tin sweetened condensed milk

5 cups S.R flour

Jam or choc chips

Method

Mix butter and sugar together.

Add tin of condensed milk and S.R flour.

Add jam drop/choc chips.

Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees).

Freeze unused dough.

Makes 100.

 

Baby Shower Time

I made the cake, as well as cupcakes, for a friend’s baby shower over the weekend.

Italian Orange Ricotta Puddings

Rice Pudding

 

Just takes love and patience.

Birthday cake