Bourekakia Sokolatas Chocolate Baklava Cigar Food

BOUREKAKIA (BAKLAVA 'CIGARS')

Steps:

• For syrup: Cook all ingredients in saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves, then boil 15 minutes.
• Cool completely; strain.
• For filling: Combine walnuts, cinnamon and cloves.
• Blend in 1 cup syrup and whites (mixture should not be too stiff; add up to ¼ cup additional syrup, if necessary.).
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut phyllo into 5 x 8 inch strips.
• Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel until ready to use.
• Take a strip and brush it lightly with melted butter.
• Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of filling along narrow edge.
• Fold in sides ½ inch toward center; brush sides lightly with butter; roll up tightly.
• Repeat with remaining strips.
• Arrange seam side down on baking sheet.
• Brush with remaining butter.
• (They can be frozen at this point � increase baking time to 30-35 minutes if baking them frozen).
• Bake until golden and crisp, 20-25 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

BOUREKAKIA SOKOLATAS - CHOCOLATE BAKLAVA CIGAR

Steps:

• Combine chocolate, walnuts and almonds in a bowl and stand for 45 minutes or until mixture is firm.
• Divide into 3 even pieces and roll each piece into a 12cm long cylinder.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry on a work surface, brush with butter and top with another sheet of phyllo, then cut lengthways into 3 pieces.
• Lay a chocolate cylinder across short end of a pastry sheet, roll, tucking ends in, and brush edge with butter to seal.
• Repeat with remaining phyllo and chocolate cylinders.
• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Place cigars on a baking paper-lined oven tray and bake for 5-6 minutes or until pale golden, then cut each in half diagonally.
• To serve, place a scoop of ice-cream on each dish of set tzatziki and serve with a cigar.

GELATO CON OLIO E SALE (ICE CREAM WITH OLIVE OIL & SEA SALT)

Steps:

• Put a couple of scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream in to a bowl. Drizzle over some very good extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt on top.
• (He sez: I can't explain what it's like, you'll just have to try it! But it was bloody gorgeous!).

CHOCOLATE CIGARS

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, salt, sugar.
• Whisk in milk and add the eggs until well blended. Set aside.
• For the filling, melt chocolate and butter at 40% power in the microwave, about 90 seconds.
• Whip the creme.
• After a few minutes add the mascarpone and icing sugar and mix well.
• Fold in the chocolate and butter. Put in fridge.
• Heat a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat. Pour a little batter into the pan, tilt and rotate the pan until the batter coats the bottom evenly. Cook for a few minutes then flip it and cook the other side as well for a couple of minutes.
• There will be 12-15 pancakes from this batter.
• Place a pancake on a board and spread with the cream.
• Place in a row seam side down. Spread a thin layer of cream on the top.
• Sprinkle the top with cocoa or grated chocolate.
• If you want, put a raspberry on one end to simulate the burning end.
• Serve creatively.