Kalon Prama (Semolina Cake)

Kalon Prama is a Cypriot semolina cake which literally translated into English means 'good thing', this cake with its lovely dense grainy texture and lemony syrup, I would say it is aptly named!! I made this cake for the first time last week and now I will be making it quite often, not just because it is absolutely delicious but also because of how simple and quick this recipe is!! After the ingredients, scales and mixer were set up on my work top, it took me just under 10 minutes before the cake was ready to pop in the oven, and ready by the afternoon to share with friends and family with a nice cup of tea or coffee!!


In the original recipe, finer semolina was used, but I prefer that grainy texture, so I used the courser one. I also made this cake a little dryer by using half the quantity of the ingredients for the syrup, so if you would like your cake to be sweeter and have a moister consistency, just double the syrup ingredients

Ingredients
200g Course Semolina
100g Sugar
100g Self-raising flour
100g Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Small pinch of mastic
½ Sachet Vanilla sugar
¼ tsp Baking powder
3 Eggs
Almonds, blanched
Syrup
200g Sugar
100ml Water
½ Sachet vanilla sugar
Juice of half a small lemon

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 10 cm x 23 cm loaf tin.

To make the cake, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients, except the eggs and almonds, for 2 minutes. Add eggs, increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared tin. Use a knife to lightly mark small serving portions on top of batter, then top each portion with an almond, if you like.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

When cake is nearly cooked, make the syrup. Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. When cake is cooked, pour a little hot syrup over hot cake, allowing it to absorb. Continue with all of syrup, allowing it to absorb after each addition. Serve and enjoy!!!

Androulla xx

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Banofee Pie

Banoffee Pie!! One mention of this delectable pudding and most people's reactions would be a very long 'mmmmmmmmmmmmmm' and uttering the words 'Banofee Pie' in a state of ecstasy!!! Always under the impression that this delicious pie was an American invention, after some research, I was surprised to find out that it was, in fact invented in England!! Developed in 1972, in The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex by chef, Ian Dowding and owner Nigel McKenzie, this gorgeous, creamy, decadent pudding has now become a firm classic all around the world and there have even been reports that it is a favourite at No. 10 and at Buckingham Palace!! Dowding claims that his pet hates on how this recipe has evolved is using biscuit crumb bases and aerosol cream, so here is the man's original recipe!! Enjoy!!


You will need a 10 x 1½ inch (deep) loose bottomed flan tin
Oven temp: 180 C / gas mark 4

PASTRY

250g / 9 oz plain flour
25g / 1 oz icing sugar
125g / 4½ oz butter (chilled)
1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Place the flour and sugar in a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and then rub it in to the flour / sugar until it resembles fine bread crumbs.


Work in the egg to form a paste.

Chill for half an hour then roll out to the thickness of a pound coin and line the flan tin.
Prick the base, line with parchment paper and weigh down with dry beans.


Cook for fifteen minutes then remove the beans and paper. Put the pastry case back into the oven and cook until it is evenly golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

FILLING

1 ½ tins of condensed milk, boiled to become a rich toffee (check note)
5-6 ripe bananas
425 ml / ¾ pint of double cream
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar
A pinch of ground coffee

Carefully spread the toffee over the pastry base.

Peel and split the bananas lengthways and arrange them on top of the toffee,

Whip the cream with the instant coffee (if they are granules they will dissolve as you whip the cream) and the sugar until it just holds its shape - take care not to over whip it.


Spread the cream over the bananas right up to the pastry edge then sprinkle sparingly with the ground coffee.

To make the caramel place a few unopened tins in a saucepan and cover with water and boil for 3 ½ hours. Always make sure there's water in the saucepan!! Since it takes so long to cook I would suggest you make a few and keep the tins in the fridge to use this delicious caramel sauce for other recipes or for a topping. They sell this caramel sauce ready-made in the U.K but I haven't seen them in Cyprus yet.

Androulla xxx

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