Sourdough sandwich with dark chocolate and fresh raspberries

I invariably seem to have leftover sourdough bread from my bakes, so I’m always improvising savory and sweet snacks to use it up.

I usually make big loaves of about one-and-a-half to two kilos, and I don’t generally like putting bread in the freezer so I’m constantly trying new things with my leftover bread. Mostly simple things but always delicious, because you can never go wrong with good, homemade bread.

I make several such snacks and quick meals almost every other day and I plan on sharing some of them with you. First, this one, because I am a chocoholic, because it’s raspberry season and because I firmly believe that the two are a match made in heaven, especially when they are encased between two sourdough bread slices.

I give you my sourdough, chocolate and fresh raspberry sandwich that can’t be easier to make or more satisfying to eat. Oozing, melted, dark chocolate, soft, tangy raspberries, crunchy, crispy sourdough. Enjoy!

Sourdough sandwich (panini) with dark chocolate and fresh raspberries

I use homemade sourdough bread (this one was a semolina and rye sourdough), but any crusty bread will do. You could also try making any of the breads I have shared previously here on the blog.

Ingredients
Sourdough bread (homemade or store-bought)
Good quality dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids)
Fresh raspberries

Special equipment: sandwich maker / panini press


Preparation
Cut two thick-ish bread slices On top of the first slice a few place thin pieces of dark chocolate in one layer, and a few fresh, whole raspberries on top of that. Place the second slice of bread on top and put it in a sandwich maker/panini press. Cook until the chocolate starts to melt, being careful not to leave the sandwich in there for too long because the chocolate may run out of the sandwich and it’ll be hell to clean your sandwich maker. Trust me, unfortunately I’ve been there.

Homemade-nutella hot chocolate with whipped cream

I don’t eat sweets regularly —even though I have a sweet tooth and I’m crazy about chocolate and Greek syrup desserts like baklava and galaktoboureko— and when I do eat them, I only have a small portion. This wasn’t always the case, I used to eat lots of sweets every single day which I finally realized wasn’t good for me and stopped.

Because of this, I have re-calibrated my palate, and now I don’t need a lot of sugar, honey or any other sweetener for something to taste sweet to me. Take for example Nutella. I used to love the stuff, which is full of sugar and cloyingly sweet, but ever since I stopped eating it and started making my own, I can’t eat Nutella anymore at all. I only eat my very own version of it that’s indeed far better. It’s not too sweet and it’s the real thing, with the pure and full flavor of hazelnuts and chocolate.

I’ve been making my own Nutella for quite some time now and apart from eating it straight from the jar, I’m invariably using it in all sorts of desserts and drinks, like this creamy and rich hot chocolate which is truly fantastic.

Besides my homemade chocolate and hazelnut spread, I add a little Frangelico to it which enhances the flavor of the nuts even more and I serve it topped with freshly whipped cream and a generous sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings, no less than 70% cocoa solids to give it a proper chocolaty boost.

Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, isn’t it?

Homemade-nutella hot chocolate with whipped cream

You could have this without the whipped cream of course, but its addition really adds a richness of texture and flavor to the beverage that’s quite marvelous.

Apropos of nothing, I never thought my laziness could lead to a revelation and a discovery of the most fluffy yet sturdy and smooth whipped cream, made with a food processor, but yes, that’s what happened. And from now on, whenever I need to make a small batch, I will only use my food processor. Read below how to make it too.

If by any chance you use store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spread that is far sweeter than my homemade version, you will need to add less of it to the beverage.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2 cups (500 ml) fresh whole milk
4 heaped Tbsp homemade hazelnut-chocolate spread (homemade Nutella), at room temperature
2 Tbsp Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur

to serve
Freshly whipped cream (see below hot to make it yourself using full-fat fresh cream)
Grated/shaved good quality dark chocolate (70% coco solids)
Demerara sugar or any other sugar you prefer (optional)

Special equipment: small food processor (to make the whipped cream)


Preparation

make the whipped cream
In a small food processor, add the cream (you’ll need no more than 100 ml for two servings) and process for a few seconds until it thickens and becomes fluffy and creamy. Be careful because the food processor is powerful and the cream doesn’t need a lot of time to whip up. It takes seconds to become proper whipped cream.

make the hot chocolate
In a small saucepan, add the milk and heat over a medium heat until it starts to bubble at the edges. Turn the heat off and add the homemade Nutella and the Frangelico. Mix well with a small whisk to combine the ingredients and melt the Nutella. Give it a taste to see if it has gotten cold and if it has, heat it up again but don’t boil it. If you want, you can add the sugar at this point as well. Pour into jugs and top with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Drink immediately and enjoy!!

Dark chocolate brownies with beetroot, and about blogging

One of the most frustrating and disappointing things about food blogging (and I suppose blogging in general) is when you see your work published somewhere else without your permission. Photographs, text —even personal stories like the ones I share here—, of course recipes, appearing in somebody else’s website or blog, somebody who has essentially stolen from you. Because that’s exactly what it feels like; theft. As if someone has broken into my own house, or rather into my own soul, and has taken from me what I have generously put out into the world.

I am the kind of person who can’t just leave it at that. I send emails, I leave messages, in the hope that whoever did it, has no real understanding of what it is they did and that they will remove my work from their site. Some do, others don’t.

The idea of stopping blogging and shutting down my blog altogether has crossed my mind many times due to this. Ιt wears you down, it spoils the experience of blogging after a while. It is hurtful when people just take without asking, using your creativity and imagination for their own benefit. There are even big websites that have done this, even businesses that steal content from blogs and post it on their website without having to pay for a photograph or a recipe. It is so much easier for them to simply steal from a blog rather than pay someone for their work.

Unfortunately, however, it’s not only those people who act like that. It feels like they would steal from anyone anyway. No, there are others, those who know you, those who leave comments on your blog or your social media, those who send you emails, and what they do is either copy-paste your work from your website and publish it on their blogs as it is, or do something equally inappropriate and infuriating; copy your style, your way of writing and expressing yourself, copy your photos, your mood, the way you style your food. You know who I’m talking about. They are the ones who as soon as you post something, it magically appears on their blog or on their social media after a while, by pure chance. They are those who suffer from ideas and simply “borrow” yours.

Apart from infuriating, all these things also make me sad, and all I can think to say to them is that I hope one day they find their own voice and offer the world what only they can offer rather than the imitation of someone else. Because it is so liberating to be able to express what you have inside you and be authentic, and so terribly excruciating to have to steal or copy someone else’s work, thinking that it is worth more than yours. The only way for someone to stand out in this world is when what they offer is unique and part of themselves. To simply copy what another does, is unfair first and foremost to your own self.

It goes without saying that we are all influenced by others, by what we read, what we watch, who we admire and look up to, but being inspired by someone while cultivating your own style and point of view is completely different than shamelessly copying them. There are so many talented people out there that give me food for thought and creativity, but I have never consciously copied someone else’s idea. I have never sat down, for example, to study their photographs and food styling with the intent of copying their work —where to place the fork, the parsley, how to set the table—, or read something that I find interesting and then go on to alter it slightly and post it on my blog or social media. That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Who would I be kidding? Obviously, only myself. Because for me, all aspects of blogging —the writing, the photos, the choice of recipes, the cooking, the styling, the aesthetic— is my process, my way of being creative, is what I have inside me and it is the means to get out into the world what I feel. And when someone steals my work, in any way, shape or form, whether it’s a big site or a small blog, it hurts.

My apologies to those of you who come here just for the recipes. This blog is my own little space in this huge world of the internet, and I really needed to say these things. I wanted people to read them —those people— and hopefully stop doing what they’re doing. I needed to get this off my chest and not let it bother me and preoccupy me anymore. I’d rather have positive feelings and thoughts than negative, and this post is my attempt to let go of all these emotions that make me uncomfortable in my own space and in effect spoil my blogging experience.

The recipe…
Chocolate brownies. With beetroot. A big revelation to me. Because I’m one of those people who like their brownies fluffy, moist and fudgy but not gloopy, and these are exactly what I was seeking. With a deep chocolate flavor resulting from the addition of dark chocolate and cocoa powder, and a slight caramel flavor from brown sugar; with a soft, moist, slightly sticky and fluffy texture, but also a bit crunchy from the ground almonds; with the beetroot flavor being discreet to the point that you don’t even taste it —I know many of you will appreciate this—, and finally, without being too sweet but rather even having a faint bitterness to them from the dark chocolate.

I’m so glad I discovered these brownies, and even more glad that I get to share them with you. So, behold. Brownies, a little different and very addictive.

Dark chocolate brownies with beetroot
Adapted from Harry Eastwood

Perhaps the only thing that gives away the presence of beetroot in these brownies is the slightly reddish hue that they have, especially on the inside.
You can use already boiled, vacuum-packed beets or boil them yourself. If you choose to do the latter, boil them with their skins on and peel them when cool.

It would be best if you grind the almonds yourself rather than buying them already ground. Apart from being cheaper, it also gives you the opportunity to control how fine or coarse you grind them. Don’t turn them into a powder but leave a few small pieces in so that your brownies have that extra little crunchiness.

The secret to fluffy brownies lies in the good beating of the eggs with the sugar so that the resulting mixture is very fluffy and more than doubled in volume. Unfortunately, I could not take pictures because I was sharing real-time videos of the procedure on Snapchat.

My fridge is filled to the brim with strawberries at the moment, and while these brownies contain beetroot rather than strawberries (you can check my strawberry brownies from last spring), their freshness and delicate, sweet and tart flavor is a prefect match for the intensely chocolaty brownies.
Also, they pair beautifully with a scoop of good homemade ice cream, or with some unsweetened whipped cream, or with a simple dusting of icing sugar before serving.

Yield: 25 small squares

Ingredients
150 g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), cut into small pieces
400 g boiled and peeled beets
3 medium-sized eggs
¼ tsp salt
200 g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
70 g Dutch processed cocoa powder
50 g blanched almonds, finely ground
35 g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

Butter, for greasing the pan

Icing sugar (optional), for dusting
Fresh strawberries (optional), for serving

Special equipment: food processor, electric hand-held mixer, square baking pan (20x20 cm), baking paper


Preparation
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and line the bottom and sides with a piece of baking paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bain-marie) and melt, stirring often with a spatula. The bottom of the bowl must not come in contact with the simmering water otherwise the chocolate will burn.
Remove the bowl from the top of the pan and set aside to cool slighlty.

Preheat your oven to 160°C.

Cut the beetroots in small pieces and purée them in the food processor. Make sure the purée is as smooth as it can be. If your food processor is small, purée the bees in batches.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and salt and beat with the hand-held mixer on high speed until the eggs become fluffy, light and creamy. Add the sugar in 3 increments, beating well after each addition. Then, continue beating until you have a very light, fluffy and creamy mixture that has doubled in size.

Add the beetroot purée, the melted chocolate and vanilla to the egg mixture and beat on medium until incorporated.
Then, add the cocoa powder, ground almonds, flour and baking powder and fold them in using a spatula. You don’t need to be super gentle with the folding because you don’t want any patches of flour or cocoa lumps in your mixture which will inevitably deflate somewhat.
Empty the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. To make sure they are ready, insert a wooden toothpick in the center and it should come out with several moist (but not wet) crumbs attached. Also, if you press the top of the brownies, it should be soft but set.

Once the brownies are ready, take the pan out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, for about 15 minutes. Then, lift the ends of the baking paper and transfer the brownies to the wire rack to cool completely. Or, if you want to eat them while still warm, transfer them to a cutting board and cut them straight away. They are however very soft and fluffy on the inside so I would suggest you wait until they have cooled completely to cut them. If you refrigerate them, they will be even easier to cut and you’ll get neat squares.

Cut brownies into 25 squares.

Dust with icing sugar if you wish before serving. Serve with fresh strawberries or plain.

Keep the brownies in an airtight container, at room temperature or in the fridge, for up to 5 days. If you keep them in fridge, they will be a lot more firm.

Chocolate mousse with coconut milk (Vegan)

In the spirit of making easy and quick dishes —it is summer after all— I made this chocolate mousse.

This is no ordinary mousse though, it is a dairy-free one, made with coconut milk. The first time I made this, it was revelatory. I have always made the traditional mousse with eggs, or the one with lots and lots of cream, or even the one with water (This, anyone?), but never vegan mousse. I am not vegan nor I plan to become vegan, and the reason for making this was simply because I love the flavor of coconut. I grab every chance I get to include it in my sweet or savory dishes.

The principle is the same as when making coconut whipped cream. You place the full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator for a day, during which time the coconut milk separates into cream (fat) and water. You open the can, scoop out the solid coconut cream and keep the liquid to use in shakes, smoothies or any other drink or cakes even.

You take the coconut cream and whip it really good, together with cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, a sweetener, agave syrup in this case, and vanilla extract, and after a few minutes you have a mousse that’s light, fluffy and creamy with the intense flavor of cocoa and the subtle flavor of coconut. That simple.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go make it!

Chocolate mousse with coconut milk (Vegan/Raw)

You can substitute the agave syrup with rice brown or maple syrup, if you don’t mind its flavor. I wouldn’t suggest you use honey (which is not vegan) as it is too sticky and a bit denser and it also has a more pronounced flavor. You can also substitute with coconut sugar (2 Tbsp would be enough) or sieved icing sugar (start with 3 Tbsp, taste and add more if you think it needs it).

I have tried this mousse with different coconut milk brands and unfortunately not all brands yield the best result. Some don’t seem to whip as good as others. So if your mousse doesn’t become as fluffy, try another brand. Find a brand that works, and stick to it. Also, look out for the ingredients list. You want it to contain coconut milk and, since it’s a can, some kind of preservative, but don’t buy those that have more ingredients. Finally, do not use light coconut milk. The reason this works and whips up to a mousse is because of the fat in the solids of the coconut milk.

Yield: 4 small servings

Ingredients
1 can coconut milk (400 ml), full-fat
25 g (2 heaped Tbsp) Dutch-processed cocoa (or raw cacao) powder, sieved
30 ml (2 Tbsp) agave syrup (nectar)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Coconut whipped cream, to serve
Coconut flakes, to serve
Raspberries or other berries, to serve

Special equipment: stand or hand-held electric mixer


Preparation
Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before, or preferably 24 hours before you want to make the mousse. During this time, the coconut cream (fat) will separate from the coconut water. The cream will rise to the top and the water will accumulate at the bottom of the can.

When you open the cold can, you will see the hard cream on top. Scoop it out carefully using a spoon until you reach the water at the bottom of the can, and add the cream to the bowl of your mixer or in a large bowl (if using a hand-held electric mixer). Don’t add the coconut water that has remained at the bottom of the can because the mousse might be watery and it won’t whip up well. You need that fat in order to make a thick mousse. You can use the water in smoothies, drinks etc., or discard it altogether.

To the coconut cream, add the cocoa, agave syrup, vanilla extract and salt and using the whisk attachment (or a hand-held mixer), whisk on high speed for a few minutes (it usually takes 3-4), until you have a light and fluffy mousse with soft peaks.

If your coconut mousse is a bit lumpy/chunky, something that tends to happen and I don’t mind it one bit, it means that the coconut cream has not been whipped enough. Whip it a couple minutes more.

You can serve it immediately (at this point, it will be super smooth and fluffy), or keep it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap for later use (up to 3 days). If you leave it in the fridge for more than a few hours, it will firm up. The flavor will not be affected, though, and it will still taste delicious even after 2-3 days.

Serve the mousse with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, a few coconut flakes and some raspberries and enjoy!

Fudgy cocoa and strawberry brownies

I have talked about strawberries so much in the past five and half years on this blog that sometimes I feel I have nothing more to say about them.

But then strawberry season starts and suddenly I’m overwhelmed with joy and it’s all I want to talk about. Their juiciness, that spectacular red-pinkish color, their small yellow seeds that stubbornly and, often irritatingly get stuck between my teeth, that aroma—oh the aroma—that penetrates the nostrils and lingers long after you’ve tasted them.

I love them in ice cream, both types, with tsoureki or any sweet bread for the perfect spring bread-and-butter pudding, in a salad dressing, jam of course, in refreshing drinks, in crispy galettes, on top of puff pastry tarts, inside beautifully moist cakes.

One of the best flavor combinations for me is chocolate and strawberry. I love pairing the two, especially in ice cream, scooping one flavor on top of the other, creating my ideal ice cream cone, but what I discovered recently is that I adore this flavor combination in brownies as well.

They are fudgy, moist, dense and deeply cocoa-y with a caramel flavor coming from the brown sugar without being too sweet. The strawberries hiding inside make for the best surprise as you bite into one of them and their juices run out while the aroma hits your nose and, suddenly, the flavor is refreshing and slightly tart.

It is such a simple yet rewarding treat that’ll make you enjoy this glorious fruit in yet another way. It’s pure heaven.

Fudgy cocoa and strawberry brownies

Use the best quality cocoa powder as it will make a difference both flavor- and texture-wise.

I keep them in the fridge because the cold makes them even fudgier and denser, but they are equally delicious at room temperature, albeit softer.

Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients
140 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing the pan
250 g soft light brown sugar
85 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
2 medium-sized eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
60 g all-purpose flour
200 g fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

Special equipment: wire whisk, square baking pan (18x18 cm or 20x20 cm), baking paper


Preparation
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and line the bottom and sides with a piece of baking paper.

Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bain marie) and keep stirring until the butter is melted and you have a homogenous mixture. The bottom of the bowl must not come in contact with the simmering water. Once the mixture is smooth, remove bowl from the top of the pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

In a small bowl, add the eggs and the vanilla and mix with a whisk. When the butter mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs and whisk vigorously to combine. Then add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and there shouldn’t be any visible white patches of flour. It will take about 20 stirs to achieve that. Add the chopped strawberries and fold them in the mixture being careful not to break them up.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, smooth the top with the back of the wooden spoon and place on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Start checking at the 30 minute mark to make sure you don’t overcook the brownies. Keep in mind that they will continue to cook as they cool down. Also, if the toothpick comes out clean, it means that the brownies will be dry rather than fugdy.

Once the brownies are ready, take the pan out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the brownies from the pan by inverting it onto the wire rack. Remove and discard the baking paper and allow the brownies to cool completely. Invert them onto a cutting board and cut them into 16 squares. I find, however, that it is easier to cut these after you have left them in the fridge for half an hour.
Also, as I have already mentioned, I prefer to keep them in the fridge rather than at room temperature, as they are fudgier and denser that way. But you can keep them at room temperature if you wish. They will be softer and feel less dense.

Keep the brownies covered, at room temperature, for 3-4 days or in the fridge, wrapped with aluminum foil, for 5-6 days.