Baklava & Dubai Chocolate Style Pops

Directions – Baklava Pops:

  1. Add the honey syrup ingredients to a small pot over medium heat. As it starts to warm up, stir to combine. Once tiny bubbles start to form, lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for five to ten minutes or until the syrup begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
  2. Add the walnuts to a food processor and pulse until the walnuts begin to crumble. Add the honey and cane sugar. Process until you can grab a small amount and it sticks together in your hands. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Carefully lay a sheet of fillo onto the parchment paper and brush melted butter all over. Repeat with the remaining fillo sheets, smoothing out any air pockets. 
  4. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 12 squares. Take some filling and roll it into a ball. Place in the middle of a square, then wrap it up to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining filling and fillo squares.
  5. Place each ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet or a mini muffin pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the honey syrup all over.
  6. Cool for five to ten minutes before putting a stick into each. Mix together the cinnamon and cane sugar then sprinkle all over. 

 

Directions – Dubai Chocolate Style Pops:

  1. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Break up the kataifi as you add it to the pan. Toast for three to five minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor, add the pistachios and salt. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Set aside.
  3. Add the white chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until tiny bubbles start to form. Pour the cream over the white chocolate and cover with a towel for five minutes. Remove the towel and stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
  4. Add the pistachio butter/paste to the melted white chocolate and mix to combine. Stir in the toasted kataifi. Refrigerated for about 30 minutes.
  5. Use a spoon to form the pistachio mixture into balls. Place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate again while you prepare the chocolate coating. 
  6. Melt the dark chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler or in 30-second intervals in the microwave. Transfer to a heat proof bowl and let cook for a few minutes.
  7. Remove the balls from the fridge and place a stick through each. Dip each in the melted dark chocolate then, shaking off any excess chocolate. Place back onto the baking sheet and sprinkle crumbled pistachios on top plus flaky salt (optional). Refrigerate again until the chocolate has hardened. 

 

*Store both in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Fillo Strudel

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line the baking tray with parchment paper. 
  2. For the filling, melt chocolate and butter separately in a microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals, mixing between each interval for both. 
  3. Combine melted chocolate and butter with the crushed hazelnuts and salt. Set aside.
  4. Working with one fillo sheet at a time (the rest should be covered with a clean damp tea towel to prevent from drying out), brush melted butter on each fillo sheet placing one on top of the other. Repeat with all the  of the sheets.
  5. To assemble, spread the filling mixture over 1/4 of the fillo sheets, leaving a 1 inch border across all sides. 
  6. Starting from the side with the filling, gently roll the sheets and place the strudel onto the baking tray. Be sure to place the seam of the fillo strudel at the bottom.  
  7. Brush strudel with egg wash and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before dusting with powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle. Garnish with additional toasted hazelnuts. 

Chef Anna’s Sweet Pastry Dough

  1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor bowl. Add the cold butter and blitz to cut the butter into the flour mix.
  2. Whisk the egg and water together. Run the flour mix, add the egg mix in and form a dough, just enough to combine. Do not over work. You will see the dough come together very quickly in the food processor bowl
  3. Scrape the content out onto your kitchen work surface
  4. Form the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate to rest. Rest the dough for at least an hour before rolling, or over night for best results.
  5. Now to roll out the tart dough. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator until you need it). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch tart tin. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth.
  6. Refrigerate: Chill the shaped, unbaked tart shell in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
  7. While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  8. Fill with weights: With a fork, prick holes all over the bottom crust. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (Crunch up the parchment paper first so that you can easily shape it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. I like to push the weights up against the sides of the pie crust to help ensure the sides don’t shrink down.
  9. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown and appear set, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove tart crust from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper with the weights out. Return the tart shell to the oven. Bake for another 5 to 10 mins to get a nice golden crust tart shell.

Fillo Mille Feuille

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Mix sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl.
  3. Working with one fillo sheet at a time (the rest should be covered with a clean, damp teal towel to prevent it from drying out), brush melted butter onto fillo sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp lemon sugar mixture. Repeat with three additional fillo sheets, melted butter and sugar mixture.
  4. Cut fillo stack in half, then cut again until quartered. Cut each quartered section into three rectangles (2×4 inch). Place on baking tray. Place another parchment sheet on top of fillo stacks then place a baking tray on top of parchment paper and stacks to help keep fillo from puffing. Bake in oven for 10 minutes then remove top baking tray and parchment paper and continue baking another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat steps once more until you have 24 squares.
  5. Place all Chantilly cream ingredients into a mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat on medium high for 2-4 minutes until stiff peaks form.
  6. To assemble, top a fillo square with a dollop of cream and raspberries. Add another fillo, cream dollop and raspberries. Top with a final fillo square and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Summer Tomato Salad with Grilled Peaches and Feta

1. Preheat a well-oiled bbq grill to 350℉.

2. Toss the quartered peaches in just enough oil to lightly coat and place cut side down on the hot grill. Cook for 2-4 minutes until there are nice grill marks but the peaches are not mushy. Flip pieces so the other cut side is directly on the grill and continue to grill for an additional 2-4 minutes. Set aside

3. Cut the heirloom tomatoes into wedges or rounds approximately 1 cm thick and halve the heirloom grape tomatoes. Cut the feta cheese into ¼ inch sized pieces

4. To assemble the salad, layer the sliced heirloom tomatoes on a serving platter followed by the halved heirloom grape tomatoes. Season the tomatoes very lightly with the flaky sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

5. Nestle the grilled peaches in and around the seasoned tomatoes followed by the feta pieces which can be lightly broken up or crumbled by hand.

6. Drizzle with the Krinos Extra Virgin Olive oil followed by the Krinos Balsamic glaze and top the salad with the basil leaves and serve.