Greek recipes | Deserts

BAKED APPLES
• 4 Apples
• 3/4 Cup Walnuts
• 2/3 Cup Raisins
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Brandy
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
Remove the seeds from the apples. Mix the walnuts, raisins, sugar, brandy and cinnamon. Stuff the apples with the mixture and place them in a baking pan and sprinkle with melted butter and bake in the oven for a few minutes until golden brown. Serve Cold.

GREEK BUTTER COOKIES
• 2 Cups Almonds
• 2 Cups Butter
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 3/4 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
• 3 2/3 Cup Flour
• Cinnamon
• 2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar (For Sprinkling)
Turn on oven to 180 centigrade to pre-heat. Beat the butter in a bowl for 40 minutes until it becomes white. Add the sugar beating continuously. Add the egg yolks, cinnamon, and brandy. Finally the almonds. Add the flour slowly kneading continuously. Take small pieces of dough and shape into balls. Place in a buttered baking pan and bake in a pre-heated over for 15 minutes. When hot and ready, sprinkle with plenty of confectioners' sugar.

HALVA (WITH SEMOLINA)
• 3 Cups Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Hard Grain Semolina
• 1 Tablespoon Pine seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Raisins
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame
• 3 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Water
• Cinnamon
• 3-4 Cloves
• Lemon Rind
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add semolina. Stir over low heat until golden brown. Add the pine seeds, raisins, and sesame stirring continuously. Put the sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind in another sauce pan and boil until the syrup is set. Pour it over the semolina and stir until the syrup is absorbed. Place it in a bowl, press it down firmly and turn onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

HONEY BALLS
• 3/4 Cup Flour
• 3/4 Cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 1 Package Yeast
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Water
• Cinnamon
• Syrup: 1 3/4 Cups Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups Water
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Boil the syrup and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool. Put flour in a saucepan and make a hole in the middle. Put the yeast, melted butter and salt in the center and mix a little and slowly add the water. Mix well to make a soft dough. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Heat the oil, take a handful of dough and squeeze out the dough to a walnut shaped ball and drop it into the heated oil. Repeat the same until you have 7 to 8 pieces in the pan. Fry them lightly, occasionally stirring. Take them out with a skimmer and drain well. When all are done a lightly brown color, fry them a second time until they are golden brown. Drain well and drop them into the syrup. Take them out and serve with sprinkled cinnamon.

YOGURT CAKE
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Peel
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Cup Blanched and chopped almonds
Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add yogurt, lemon peel, vanilla and cinnamon. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and blend well. Fold in the almonds.
Pour batter into a greased baking pan (9" X 13") and bake in a preheated oven at 180 centigrade for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool on rack. Remove from pan and cut into squares.