This is my first attempt at making gingerbread cookies. I used the recipe I found on Food Network but I didn’t have the blackstrap molasses. Probably this is the reason why my dough was a little dry and crumbly and kind of hard to work with. However, it was worth the effort as the cookies […]
Christmas Tree Tart with Spinach
This is a nice looking tart filled with a flavourful spinach mixture. It’s the perfect choice for your vegetarian friends and family. Also, considering the many meat-filled dishes on our traditional Christmas menu, this spinach tart gives us a good dose of healthy and low-fat food around this time of the year. Time: 50 min, Prep: 20 […]
Egg Snowman
I will start my list of recipes for this holiday season with these cute snowmen made of eggs. I used hard-boiled eggs, a carrot and some peppercorns. These snowmen are a very nice addition to your holiday appetizer platter. Oh and this will make eating eggs more fun for your kids as well ;). Time: 30 […]
Biscuit Chocolate Rolls
This is my mom’s recipe for Biscuit Chocolate Rolls / Salami or Romanian Salam de Biscuiti. It’s quick to make and there is no cooking involved. You can enrich the recipe by adding anything you like such as raisins, nuts, almonds etc. (I’ve added Turkish delight & coconut flakes). It takes only 15-20 minutes to […]
Cheese Sticks
It’s proven by scientists that men like beer :). So, for this New Year’s party, I decided to make some homemade snacks that would go with beer… no wonder all cheese sticks (and beer) were gone sooner than expected. I remember my mom used to make some great salty sticks (Romanian Saratele), topped with sesame […]
Linzer Cookies
Linzer cookies are a beautiful treat for the holidays. Made with ground almonds and sandwiched together with a layer of raspberry jam, these cookies are simply iresistible! Time:95 min, Prep: 80 min. Cook: 15 min. per batch Servings: ~40-45 cookies Ingredients: 250 g white flour
Romanian Cozonac (nut & Turkish delight fillings)
The delicious aroma of freshly baked Cozonac is the smell of Romanian holidays. It is a sweet bread usually filled with nuts and/or Turkish delight (lokum). You can find Cozonac in every house at Christmas (or Easter). In the evening of the Christmas Eve children go out carol singing from house to house and they […]
Chocolate Coconut Squares
This recipe was very popular years ago when I was a kid. In Romania is known as “Prajitura Tavalita”. The icing for the traditional recipe is made with cocoa but I’ve made my own version using chocolate instead. I know the original recipe from my aunt who lives in the same village as my grandparents; […]
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Romanian Sarmale)
Cooking Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Romanian Sarmale) for Christmas and all other major holidays is a Romanian tradition. They are usually made with pickled cabbage and stuffed with ground pork (sometimes combined with beef), rice and various herbs and spices. We serve these with polenta and a few generous tablespoons of sour cream. Time: 135 min, Prep: 45 […]