Monday 21 December 2020

Cinnamon and Spice

 .Greek Christmas sweets, biscuits, cookies.  These are all being baked by my most traditional greek who now considers himself the expert.  I willingly handed the baking apron over to him years ago.  It makes him so happy to be able to give these handmade biscuits to friends and neighbours and anyone in mourning who cannot/should not do festive baking in the first year of bereavement.


Real men don't bake so he tells most people that I made them.  Pat on the back.  I work so hard!


He doesn't make them the same way as his mother did.  She used fragrant sheeps butter.  He studies the cooks and chefs on TV who are at this time all cooking pork and baking sweets on their shows.    We've spent so much money on packs of Lurpak it would have been cheaper, and easier, to buy them all from the bakery.



Kourabiethes
Almond biscuits/cookies made with lots of almonds and that butter
They are smothered in rose water and icing sugar.   You can't eat them in secret because you're sure to end up with your clothes covered in white icing sugar which sort of gives the game away



Melomakarouna
meaning honey makaroons
covered in honey syrup and crushed walnuts





Some of the family came up and made a batch of their own
Yummy bite sized cookies, covered in cinnamon and sugar.
That's Nels who made the cheesecake.  She doesn't need supervising so her Mum and me had a G&T


All hands on deck
Yiannis cracks the walnuts and almonds




The gang


And Poppi, who enjoys whatever she does, even setting the table.


All work and no play is just not on the cards for the Greek male


I still have only one Christmas card though I did hear from a friend that there's one for me at her house and she will give me one, so that's 3 cards at least, before Xmas



20 comments:

  1. Well done that man! I am so useless at baking.
    I have just bought a triple chocolate panettone from Marks & Spencer as my one Christmas indulgence!

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    1. Triple chocolate! Ye gods and little fishes that sounds good. We get one with raisins here

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  2. Wish we had smellavision to smell thos e baking aromas. Wonderful family photos. We haven't had many cards yet.

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    1. The house sure smells inviting when he cooks!

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  3. Yummy love the greek sweets.
    Unfortunately my bottom doesn’t and it grows and grows if I have any lol
    Looks like a fun day of baking

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    1. I wish we didn't have them in the house. I hope he gives them all away Today

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  4. Lovely biscuits and treats there, so good to have everyone together. Hope you enjoyed the G &T.

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  5. All that baking looks good, I've never tried to use sheep's butter. Have a good Christmas and stay safe.

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    1. Sheep's butter has a sort of primeval smell. Sheep and it's surroundings, you don't want use it!

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  6. How good it is to have someone who bakes at home and a family so happy and wonderful.

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    1. We are still enjoying ourselves in this lockdown.

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  7. What cheerful photos - made me feel happy looking at them :)

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  8. You have a house full of laughter I bet. I could eat biscuits and Greek treats every day!

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    Replies
    1. They're a huge temptation. Thank goodness he only bakes them at Xmas ...as is traditional

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  9. Mmm, looks very yummy!! I would love the man in this house to do some baking, lol. We just had 2 feet of snow in the past 24 hours. I'd love to be in your climate!

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    1. He makes a big show of it. I don't mind at all and he does the washing up too. My girls went swimming today. Crazy! It's not snowing but it's winter!

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