Monday 29 February 2016

Daring Bakers - February 2016

Katmer Pie


After a long time, I am once again taking part in the Daring Bakers Challenges. Sometimes you want to do things, but you just can't... Life happens!

So, on with the challenge for February. This month our host was Mimica from Mimi's Kingdom.

We had to make a traditional serbian pie, called Katmer Pie, with homemade dough and filling.

I chose a savoury fillling, as I wanted it for Sunday lunch. I also played a little with the dough recipe, mainly because I didn't have lard.

Savoury Katmer Pie with cheese and sausage filling.

For the dough:

500gr all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
350 mlm warm water
40 gr butter soft
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp dried oregano

For the filling:

1 egg
300gr feta cheese grated
150gr yellow cheese grated
3 hot dog sausages chopped
1 tbsp yogurt
pepper

Dough:
* Mix all the ingredients, except for the butter. The dough will be soft.

* Transfer it on a floured surface and knead it a little until you achieve elastic, but soft dough.

*  Divide dough in six pieces and shape every piece in round form. Leave them to rest 10 minutes.

* Roll every piece of dough into a flat disc 4mm thick. Divide them in two groups of three. Brush first piece of dough with melted butter and cover with another piece of dough. Brush second piece of dough with butter and cover with third piece. Do not brush this third piece of dough with butter (which I did and was a mess)!!!!!






* Repeat the same with another three pieces of doug.

* Leave them again to rest for 10 minutes.

* Roll every pile using rolling pin into round shape, about 6-7 mm thick.
* Using a sharp knife make eight cuts around the formed circle.

* Brush surface with melted butter and start folding the cut "petals" into the middle part of dough.

* Turn the dough so the folded parts are underneath. Do the same with another pile of dough. Leave both pieces of dough to rest until you prepare the filling.

Filling:
* Easy! Just mix everything in a bowl.


Assebly:
* Preheat the oven to 180o C.

* Roll the pieces of dough on a lightly floured surface into a large round shape to fit your baking tin.

* Cover the bottom of a buttered tin with one piece of dough and add the filling and straighten it with a spatula.

* Cover with the other piece  of dough and fold the sides.
* Make cuts on the surface to let the steam escape.

* Bake for about 35-45 min.

* Let it cool before you cut it!




In general I really really liked this dough!

It is tasty, flaky and soft. And so so easy to make. I was very happy with the fact that there was no yeast and waiting time involved!!
Yes, I will be using this recipe again.... maybe with a sweet filling this time!

Thank you Mimika for a lovely recipe!



Louise

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Easy lemon shortbread cookies!

When it comes to shortbread cookies I have mixed feelings. Some times I love them and sometimes, well, not so much.
For some reason I always thought they were difficult of tricky. So, I tried a few recipes with mixed results. Regular flour, rice flour, butter, oil.... Nothing was quite as I wanted.
So, until I find a recipe to LOVE, I will be using my good old sugar cookie recipe.

What? You might ask....  Trust me, I know what I am doing.

My sugar cookie recipe MINUS the egg and MINUS 1 tbsp flour!

For the lemon flavour, just add the zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp lemon juice (I like them very lemony!).







Really lemony and buttery! They just melt in your mouth!


Louise!