Lemon Drizzle Poundcake

What does one do when they are in excess of lemons? Bake a lemon inspired cake of course! And since loaf cakes are the easiest cakes to bake (prep and baking took less than an hour), I settled for a Lemon Drizzle Poundcake.

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you may already know that poundcakes are my favourite! So if you haven't already, check out some of my past recipes: Banana Poundcake, Orange Poundcake, or even this delicious Pumpkin Spice Loaf.

So, if you are in the mood for a moist, lemony, not too dense cake with a tangy/sweet icing, this is the recipe for you.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

Was in the mood for a perfectly soft and chewy cookie. And since I couldn’t find anything in the shops that tickled my fancy, I decided to bake my own. Went for an oatmeal cookie this time because I wanted it to be slightly healthy…just kidding!! I just love oatmeal cookies! Obviously all that sugar negates any kind of healthiness. And honestly, if I’m going to bake cookies, and eat them, might as well be the real thing!

Also, if you’re wondering why my setup is different yet again, it’s because I’ve moved back to Durham. So plenty of recipes and pretty photos heading your way!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fairly straightforward recipe today. A delicious and very moist pumpkin cake. And since everything tastes better with a little bit of frosting—this cake has lots of it. Enjoy.

Apple Upside-Down Cake

A year ago, I went on a long riverside stroll (for those unfamiliar with Durham city, I’m referring to the River Wear); it wasn’t meant to be anything more than a chance for me to take a break from writing my thesis and enjoy the wonderful fall weather, and yet, I found myself incredibly inspired by my surroundings. That day, on the way home, I stopped by the market and bought a butternut squash and a bag of apples. I was determined to bake an apple crumble, and a pumpkin pie, and maybe even some ginger snaps. And I did. And I documented it all on the first few entries of this blog.

Since then, this blog has evolved in ways that I never thought it would: I bought more baking tools, I learned how to take better pictures, I extended the mission of the blog to include traditional Greek recipes, I gained thousands of followers on Instagram…

I won’t go on about this anymore than I have already, but that fact remains that, although I began to bake as a way to de-stress from the demands of the PhD, I now bake because I really do enjoy the art of baking. I hope this blog continues to develop and I hope a year from now, I’ll be able to look back again, and be satisfied with how far it has come.

On that note, today’s recipe features the apple upside-down cake, which in my eyes is far superior than the classic apple pie. I hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Loaf

I started my blog last year of this month. Can you believe it?! It has been 1 WHOLE YEAR!!! And yet, so much has changed in my life—I moved back to NY from Durham (after living there for 5 years), I finished my PhD, I made many new friends and lost some old friends…but I digress.

I thought it would be fitting to begin this new chapter of my life/and the blog’s second year, with a spin on my very first entry. So, for today’s recipe, as a play on last year’s Pumpkin Pie, I have made a Pumpkin Spice Loaf.   

Hope you enjoy.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you have been following my blog for long enough, you might remember these fantastic Halloween Red Velvet Cupcakes. 

I decided to remake them, with two very different toppings. For the first batch, I used the classic cream cheese frosting; for the second, I used a slightly creamier/lighter frosting with a double cream base (instead of butter). Both turned out really delicious, so I think it really depends on personal preference. I've always loved the decadence of the red velvet cupcake- I will always reach for the classic cream cheese frosting. With that said, most of my friends enjoyed the creamier version.  

Enough rambling...onwards

Coffee and Walnut Cake

This cake is absolutely amazing. And I’m not just tooting my own horn here. Everyone who had a piece, or 2, or 3, was in love and the cake was eaten in a matter of days.

Lately, my go to book for baking recipes has been Bake it Better: Classic Cakes by Linda Collister—if you can recall, the Victoria Sponge and Blueberry Muffins I made were also taken from here. If you haven’t picked up a copy you should definitely do so (or look for it online). The recipes never disappoint and the pictures are gorgeous.

With that said, I did double the recipe for this Coffee and Walnut Cake. I wanted to create something a bit more decadent and extravagant. I also opted to frost the entire cake, rather than leaving it as a traditional sponge cake.

Blueberry Muffins

A quick and delicious recipe for Blueberry Muffins. I don't usually care for fruit in desserts, but these muffins have just the right balance of tartness to sweetness. And to top it off, they are so incredibly moist and fluffy.

Marble Poundcake

You all know poundcakes are my favourite, so I don’t think this cake needs any kind of introduction. Chocolate ü Vanilla ü Moist ü I have found the perfect accompaniment to coffee.

Coffee Crumb Cake with Walnuts

Does anyone remember the Hostess Coffee Crumb Cake muffins? I’ve been trying to recreate these babies for ages and could never find a recipe that even came close. Until NOW. Actually, I think this recipe is better because it has a nicer consistency and is super moist—the Hostess muffin could be a bit too crumbly/dry, in my opinion anyway.

Anyway, the original recipe is from Food Wishes, and he even has a youtube video outlining each step. I slightly altered the recipe by using yogurt and walnuts, instead of sour cream and pecans, and I also doubled the recipe so that it fit in my pan. 

Snickerdoodles

A quick and easy recipe for those days when you want something to munch on, but don’t feel like running out to the market for ingredients. And this cookie definitely hits the spot without being overly sweet.

M inhaled about 5 within a minute—I kid you not!

By the way, these are perfect to make when you are expecting company, but don't have enough time to bake and tidy-up your home. So, you can prepare the batter, stick it in the fridge to harden while you quickly clean, stick your cookies in the oven while you change, and voilà! Flat is clean AND cookies are made.

just saying...

Greek Easter Bread, Τσουρέκι

For the second installment of Greek Easter treats, I have made Τσουρέκι, a soft and fluffy sweet bread that is flavoured with  Mahlepi (μαχλέπι) and Mastiha (μαστίχα). For those who are not familiar with these ingredients, Mahlepi  "is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry" and Mastiha is "is a resin obtained from the mastic tree." Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult to find these ingredients if you are outside of Greece, However, I am certain you can find them on Amazon (albeit a bit pricey) or at any Mediterranean food shop.

Traditionally Τσουρέκι is made on Holy Thursday—perfect timing yea?

Greek Easter Cookies, Κουλουράκια

In preparation for Greek Easter (May 1^st), I made κουλουράκια, Greek Easter cookies, and τσουρέκια, Greek Easter bread, AND even dyed a few eggs—I used natural dyes instead of the toxic packaged dyes, and if you are interested in the process just pop me a comment and I’ll give you the “recipe” for that.

Is it wrong to say that I look forward to Easter mainly for the desserts/sweets? Especially because I don’t eat meat, and haven’t eaten it for over 15 years—my grandma is still horrified over this fact by the way: think My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

For this post I will be focusing on the κουλουράκια (and the next post will be on τσουρέκια). And don’t worry if you have never made these cookies before. The recipe is simple and easy, and really, the hardest part is waiting for the cookies to bake.

Two quick points:

1. Don’t be alarmed by the number of cookies this recipe yields. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, they will be eaten in no time—especially if you share them with your friends and family. If you are still concerned, then just half the ingredients.

2. As you may already know, I always prefer my cookies to be soft and chewy. So if you are looking for a recipe that yields crumbly, crunchy, biscuit-type κουλουράκια, I’m sorry but this isn’t the recipe for you.

Coffee Cupcakes & Coffee Buttercream

Every morning I brew about 6 cups of coffee. I have 2-3 cups of hot coffee as soon as I wake up, and then I usually store the remaining coffee in the fridge. This way when 6 pm comes around and I'm needing my caffeine fix, all I have to do is add ice and milk— BAM! Instant Iced Coffee.

Please tell me you all do this too, because my family thinks I'm crazy for storing old coffee in the fridge.

Anyway, I had plenty of leftover coffee the other day, so I decided to put it to good use and make some very yummy coffee cupcakes. They turned out wonderful.

Orange Muffins

 Just a simple recipe for Orange Muffins, because my fridge is filled with fresh oranges.

If you find this too simple, you can also add some chocolate chips or even fruit to your batter

And if you love everything orange flavoured, be sure to check out my delicious Orange Poundcake with Orange Glaze

Herb Bread

I always see these really creative and delicious looking loaves in the market—some have olives and sun-dried tomatoes, others are stuffed with cheese, and in the corner, if no one has snatched them up yet, are these aromatic herb loaves. And every time I would pass by these market stalls, I would say to myself, “I really need to make my own loaf one day.”

Well, the day finally came. I made these loaves a couple of weeks ago (right before my trip) when I had bunches of fresh basil and parsley that were about to spoil. They did not disappoint. They were aromatic, and bursting with flavour. Although I used basil and parsley, feel free to get creative and use combinations of your favourite herbs—like coriander, dill, and basil, or just parsley, or even garlic and basil.

Biftekia, Μπιφτέκια

Greek burgers anyone?

Growing up, my sister and I were fortunate enough to have home-cooked meals. And even though both of our parents worked, and my sister and I had homework/after-school activities, dinner as a family was always a priority. However, unlike your typical American family, we would never have mac and cheese, grilled cheese, take out from McDonalds/Burger King/Subway/Wendys for dinner—actually, I can count on one hand how many times we would have fast food/junk food a year. Instead, my mom, grandma, and dad (when he had the odd day off from work) would make traditional Greek dishes. Biftekia, or Μπιφτέκια, is one of these dishes. By the way, I’ve not eaten red meat in 15+ years, but back when I did, I loved these.

What are biftekia? Well, it’s your typical bland burger patty PLUS lots of herbs, breadcrumbs, eggs, and MINUS the bread. In fact, biftekia are usually served with pita bread, rice, lemon potatoes, hand-cut French fries, or even vegetables. 

One last note (& I have to put this in because my mom made sure to point it out): Biftekia are typically elongated in shape. I made mine round, because I like them round; feel free to shape them how you like.

So now that you know that what a bifteki is, on to the recipe.

Apple & Toffee Muffins

I don’t know about you, but I love having muffins for breakfast. And these Apple & Toffee Muffins pair perfectly with my morning coffee.

I used lactofree milk for this recipe because that’s the only thing I had in my fridge, and I really couldn’t be bothered with going to the store to buy some regular milk. So, if you are lactose intolerant like I am, feel free to sub lactofree milk. The muffins are just as delicious.

One more thing, and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, I’m not a fan of overly sweet cakes/desserts—so I only used 1 piece of toffee for each muffin. But if you love toffee and extra sweetness, you should add about two pieces of toffee for the filling, and maybe some toffee crumbles to top it off. Adjust everything to taste. That’s my baking motto.

OK. Enough of my jabbering, and on to the actual baking!

Victoria Sponge with Raspberries

A British classic, this cake is really simple to make. Now, there isn’t any set recipe, because the ingredients are calculated according to what your eggs weigh. What I mean by that is, the weight of your 3 eggs (in their shells) determines the weight for your flour, butter, and sugar. For example, my 3 eggs weighed 201g, so my flour, butter, and sugar will also be 201g each.

All in all this cake was really fun to make, and I especially enjoyed the decorating aspect of it. First British Cake recipe ü

Stuffed Cabbage, or Lahanodolmades, or Λαχανοντολμάδες

Second Vegetarian dish on the blog: Λαχανοντολμάδες

While I was in Athens, my friend’s mom cooked for us a delicious plate of Λαχανοντολμάδες, lahanodolmades (pronounced as lah-hah-no-dole-mah-thes). I enjoyed them so much that I was determined to make them for myself as soon as I was back in the UK.

Just to break it down a bit: 

Λαχανο means Cabbage, and ντολμά comes from the Turkish word dolma, which means stuffed vegetable/leaf. So, Λαχανοντολμάδες, means stuffed cabbage. 

Just to point out, I'm sure most of you are more familiar with Ντολμαδάκια, or small dolmades, which are the stuffed grape leaves served at most Greek restaurants. Same concept, different vegetable.

As is the case will all Greek cooking, I have fond memories of my giagia making these every time I would visit Lefkada. And just to be clear, she and my mom would always make the vegetarian version of the dish, as opposed to adding minced meat. I called my mom up to ask for general instructions, and set off to make the lahanodolmades.

Just a few things I want to point out before we begin. For one, I used British Cabbage because it was the largest I could find—feel free to use any cabbage you wish, as long as it has largish leaves. I also can never find fresh dill here in the UK (is that not odd?), so I had to use dried—don’t worry if you too run into this problem, the lahanodolmades will still taste great. I also added grated carrot just to enrich the flavour of the dolmades. Lastly, if you remember from my Augolemono Soup recipe, I always prefer to use Basmati rice as opposed to long grain—use whatever you prefer.