A collection of festive recipes from 5 partner countries for the Erasmus+ project KA229 "Cultures on a Palette"

FESTIVE RECIPES

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Estonian students gave it a try! Let's see what they have done!

Wow! It's wonderful!!! Let's try it! Yummy!

INGREDIENTS: 1 litre of good apple juice, preferably homemade 2 cinnamon sticks 0.5 teaspoons of cloves 2 allspice berries 6 crushed cardamom pods 1 nutmeg 4-5 whole star anise 1 orange peel

1 cinnamon stick thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root 0.5 teaspoons black peppercorns 6-7 tablespoons of honey (or to taste) You can change the recipe depending on your taste. Feel free to play with different spices. INSTRUCTIONS: Scrub and peel the orange. Melt the honey in a large saucepan. Add the spices and the orange peel. Heat at the low temperature for 15-20 minutes. Be careful, not to burn it. When your room is full of sweet spicy vapours, pour the apple juice into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and keep the juice at a constant temperature of 60° C for about an hour. Meanwhile, taste and add spices, if necessary. Pour through a sieve and serve in heat-tolerant glasses or mugs. Serve each drink with a little orange peel and a piece of cinnamon stick, if you like.

The Estonian teacher Helen tried the Spanish recipe of "Turron de Alicante"

The turrón, or in English, nougat, is something between a pastry and a dessert, usually made with honey, sugar, egg whites and almonds. The turrón is very popular in Spain, enjoyed by all during the Christmas season. So today&nbsp;&nbsp;we are &nbsp;going to share the recipe for the most popular type of turrón&nbsp;in Spain:&nbsp;turrón de Alicante.

Ingredients 250 g of peeled, slightly roasted almonds ( not crushed, full) 200 g of honey 100 g of sugar 1 egg white Recipe ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, you will need a turrón mould for this recipe, but instead of greasing it, you will place cooking paper inside it. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whip the egg white until it becomes firm and set it aside. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Place the honey and sugar inside a pan. Keep stirring it until the it boils, in order to get a homogenized and thick mix. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Remove the pan from the oven and add the fluffed egg white, stirring at the same time. When the mix becomes homogenized, place on the stove again. Keep stirring while the mix heats up, until it becomes thicker. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Add the almonds. Mix very well, then pour the contents of the pan inside the turrón mould. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Let it cool down.

And last but not least, great festive recipes from...

How about some delicious Christmas and New Year's recipes from...

Instructions To prepare this melomakarona recipe start by making the syrup first. In a pot add all the ingredients for the syrup, except the honey and bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the stove. Stir in the honey and set aside to cool completely. Prepare the dough for the melomakarona. In a bowl add the semolina, flour and baking powder and blend with a whisk to combine. In another large bowl add the orange juice, the cognac, the sugar and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla). At the end add the baking soda and whisk immediately the ingredients for 5-10 seconds, until the ingredients combine and the baking soda dissolves and starts to foam. Pour in the bowl the water, the oil, the orange zest and honey and whisk to combine. Now it’s time to combine the two mixtures. Add the mixed flour, semolina and baking powder (from step 2) in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients from step 3 and start kneading the dough for the melomakarona.

Knead the dough for the melomakarona using your hands, until the ingredients combine and the dough is smooth and soft. Careful not to overwork the dough as they will become tough. Preheat the oven at 180C. Layer the bottom of 2 baking trays with parchment paper and start shaping the melomakarona. Pinch a portion of dough about the size of a walnut/ 30g (or bigger, if you prefer) and shape with your palms into a smooth oblong shape, like a small egg. Place on the baking tray, push lightly the top with a fork and make some holes on top (not all the way down). Continue with the rest of the dough. Place the baking trays with the melomakarona in the oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes, until the melomakarona are lightly browned and cooked through. If you’ve made them bigger, you’ll need to bump up the cooking time!!

First of all, it is really important not to overwork the dough for the melomakarona, because this will cause the oil to separate from the mixture. Just knead lightly with your hands or a spoon until the flour has incorporated and the dough is really soft. If you are planning to bake the melomakrona the following day, it is not a very good idea to make the dough in advance and store on the fridge. This will also cause the oil to separate from the mixture. Make the dough for the melomakarona when you have enough time to bake them.&nbsp;Be careful not to add any more flour than this melomakarona recipe calls for, as this will make the cookies tough. It is also important to use a combination of semolina and flour, to make the melomakarona crispier and crumblier. To syrup the melomakarona the syrup must be cold and the melomakarona hot. This will help the cookies to absorb the syrup and become moist on the inside. So, start by making the syrup first and then the dough. If you are in a hurry you can place the syrup in the refrigerator to cool down, while preparing the dough for the melomakarona.

Ingredients For the melomakarona For the syrup 150g&nbsp;thin semolina 300g&nbsp;water 500g&nbsp;flour (soft) 600g&nbsp;sugar 1/2 tbsp&nbsp;baking powder 2&nbsp;cinnamon sticks 100g&nbsp;orange juice 3&nbsp;whole cloves 3&nbsp;tbsps cognac 1&nbsp;orange, cut in half 100g&nbsp;sugar 180g&nbsp;honey 1&nbsp;flat tbsp powdered cinnamon To garnish 1/3 tsp&nbsp;nutmeg (powder) 200g&nbsp;chopped walnuts 1/3 tsp&nbsp;clove (powder) powdered cinnamon 1 tsp&nbsp;vanilla extract powdered clove 1/2 tbsp&nbsp;baking soda 90g&nbsp;water 125g&nbsp;olive oil 125g&nbsp;vegetable oil 50g&nbsp;honey zest of&nbsp;2&nbsp;oranges

Serves: 4 Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes INGREDIENTS: 500 grams ground chicken 2 table spoons of bread crumbs 1 dl 1/2&nbsp;cup&nbsp;cream&nbsp;~35% fat content 1 onion, grated 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons of butter

INSTRUCTIONS Mix breadcrumbs and cream, let the mixture stay for 5 minutes. Add all ingredients, mix and season well.&nbsp;Form the meatballs by rolling a piece of the mixture with your hands. Preheat the&nbsp;frying&nbsp;pan, melt the butter. Fry the meatballs in a medium heat for about 7 minutes until nice golden brown.

This difficult recipe was attempted by the Turkish team! Congrats kids!!!

GREEK DIPLES RECIPE (CHRISTMAS GREEK PASTRY WITH HONEY)

Christmas rolls, drizzled with honey syrup and topped with chopped walnuts! Diples or thiples&nbsp;get their name from the Greek word for “fold” and are&nbsp;a traditional Greek honey pastry dessert that is very popular around Christmas time throughout Greece. They are rather challenging to make, but give it a go! You won’t regret it!!!&nbsp;

Ingredients For the Diples 2&nbsp;flat table spoons sugar 2&nbsp;flat table spoons baking soda 350–400g all-purpose flour 5&nbsp;eggs (divided into yolks and whites) juice of&nbsp;1&nbsp;lemon juice of&nbsp;1&nbsp;orange 1 table spoons white wine vinegar 1/2 cup&nbsp;corn oil a pinch of salt Vegetable oil for frying For the syrup 1/4&nbsp;of a cup sugar 1/4&nbsp;of cup water 1/2 cup&nbsp;honey Juice of&nbsp;1/2&nbsp;lemon 1&nbsp;cinnamon stick 150g&nbsp;chopped walnuts, for garnish&nbsp;

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Mix flour and baking soda then add gradually to the sugar and spice mix. Knead the dough until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 4 hours or even better - overnight. To make the cookies, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 3mm. Using cookie cutters, cut out the desired shapes and place onto a tray lined with baking paper. Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then leave to cool on the baking tray placed on a cake rack. You can decorate the gingerbread cookies with icing.

Τhe Greek students Eleni, Frideriki and Sotiria tried to cook the French Macarons. The result might not have been so successful but at least we enjoyed it! (By the way, the cream was delicious!!!). Watch the video to see what we did!

Still hungry? Let's see what's to cook for Christmas from....

It serves: 4 persons Ingredients 8 slices of brioche 2 eggs beaten 50 gr butter 50 gr brown sugar 1 glass of milk

This recipe is a traditional one. It is usually made with stale bread that you don’t want to throw away but here we use brioche.

Preparation Put the eggs in a bowl Dip the brioche slices in the mixture Pass them in brown sugar on both sides Melt the butter in the pan Put the brioches in the pan and wait for them to caramelize Then eat! Have a good meal

POTATO SALAD (KARTULISALAT)

Estonian-style potato salad can be recognized by the sour cream dressing. It’s super easy to make. Each family has its own way of making it, but there’s hardly an Estonian who doesn’t love it. ΙNGREDIENTS 800 grams potatoes 2 carrots 1-3 hard-boiled eggs 100 g (or more) ham or cooked sausage 2 pickled cucumbers and/or ½ long fresh cucumber 1 onion 1 apple

100 g canned peas 200 g sour cream 200 g mild-tasting mayonnaise A little salt and mustard dill and spring onion, for seasoning and garnishing Ingredients may vary to taste. INSTRUCTIONS: Cook the potatoes and carrots unpeeled in salted water and let cool completely. Peel and dice. Grate or mash the eggs. Dice the cucumber, onion, apple and sausage. Combine all the ingredients in one bowl, and add the peas, drained. Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise and season with salt and mustard if needed. Pour over vegetables and mix gently. Let the flavours mingle for a few hours before serving. Serve with fresh black bread.

KARASK - Traditional Estonian Barley Bread

Karask is a quick bread made with barley and oat or wheat flours. Incredibly, this bread tastes even richer the next day. INGREDIENTS: 2 ½ dl barley&nbsp;flour 1 ¼ dl oat flour, can be replaced with (whole) wheat flour 200 grams curds, cottage cheese or ricotta 1 cup yoghurt, buttermilk or kefir

1 egg ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon honey ¼ dl vegetable oil ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Grease and flour the loaf tin or line it with baking parchment after greasing. Sift the flours, salt, and leavening agents into a mixing bowl. Whisk curds, yoghurt, egg, salt, honey. and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well, but do not over mix. Pour the mixture into a baking tin, smooth top. Put karask into the oven quickly to ensure that the texture remains light and fluffy. Bake for about 30-40 minutes to a light gold, or until a toothpick emerges clean from the centre.

To avoid the egg-y smell, which can ruin the flavour of your vasilopita, add the egg yolks one at a time, allowing each one to be absorbed from the mixture. Once done mixing the rest of the ingredients,&nbsp;use a marise spatula&nbsp;to incorporate the flour and the meringue. Using an electric mixer will result the vasilopita to loose it’s fluffiness. Just add the flour (sifted) and the meringue and blend with light circular movements, trying&nbsp;not to overwork the dough. Also very important is&nbsp;not to open the oven&nbsp;under no circumstances, before 30 minutes of baking, as this will result your vasilopita to deflate. Finally don’t forget to insert the coin through the base of the cake!

Ingredients For the cake 375g&nbsp;butter (13 ounces) 3 cups&nbsp;sugar 6&nbsp;eggs (divided into yolks and whites) a pinch of salt zest of&nbsp;2&nbsp;oranges 1/2 cup&nbsp;orange juice 200g&nbsp;yogurt, strained (7 ounces) 1 tsp&nbsp;vanilla extract 750g&nbsp;self-rising flour, sifted&nbsp;(26.5 ounces) For the glaze 3 cups&nbsp;icing sugar 3&nbsp;tbsps hot water or milk 1 tsp&nbsp;vanilla extract

&nbsp;When the melomakarona come out of the oven, place them in the cold syrup, flipping them with a slotted spoon to absorb the syrup for approx. 10-20 seconds, depending on how syrupy you like them. (When adding syrup to the melomakarona it’s best do so in 2-3 batches). Remove the cookies using a slotted spoon, place on a platter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Store the melomakarona at room temperature in an airtight container. They will last for all your Christmas Holidays!

The Turkish team cooked the delicious Potato salad! Let's see what they did!!

Aurora, Martina, Jana and Gisela from Spain cooked the French Chocolate Truffles. Congrats girls!

Ingredients ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;250g of ground almonds ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;125g of icing sugar ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;125g of caster sugar ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 egg yolk

The origins of marzipan are unclear; there is a dispute between Persia, Hungary and Germany who all lay claim to the invention of a paste of sugar and almonds. The origins of the name are even more bizarre; some contenders being a Burmese city, a military commander and the ‘bread of March’. Wherever it came from, in the UK marzipan is most commonly associated with icing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/collections/christmas-cake-recipes">Christmas cakes</a>. Many people buy marzipan as they consider it a fuss to make however, it is actually relatively easy and homemade marzipan can contain up to 50% less sugar. The almond flavour is also much stronger and you don't have the addition of colourings and preservatives.

Mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar and caster sugar. Add the egg yolk and mix well until fully combined in a smooth dough Wrap in cling film and reserve in the fridge until needed, it can then be rolled or shaped as required. The wrapped marzipan will keep for a week in the fridge, or can be frozen until ready to use Variations Try soaking a pinch of saffron in a tablespoon of water and mixing this into your marzipan for an attractive yellow colour. Adding the seeds of a vanilla pod enhances the flavour of the marzipan and complements the almond.

Teachers of the group wanted to try new recipes! The Greek biology teacher Dimitra tried to cook the Estonian cookies!

The Turkish team cooked the French Lemon cake. Enjoy!

MELOMAKARONA

Making these sweet little Greek honey cookies always makes me realize that it’s Christmas time! Melomakarona are one of the most popular treats throughout Greece during the Christmas Holidays and their intense homely smell makes every house smell like Christmas. These sweet little Greek honey cookies (melomakarona) are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive!&nbsp;

These cookies are incredibly soft, moist, flavorsome and soaked in a delicious honey syrup. Once baked in the oven, the intense aromas of the sweet spices permeates the house and brings back childhood memories.&nbsp;For a more traditional touch, garnish the melomakarona cookies with roughly chopped walnuts and just a pinch of cinnamon and clove. What does “melomakarono” mean? Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) are traditional Greek Christmas cookies, that are served during Christmas time throughout Greece. The word “melomakarona” is a combination of the two words “meli”, which means honey and “makarona”. “Makarona” comes from the ancient word “makaria” and means blessed. In some regions “melomakarona” are also called “finikia”. The traditional recipe for melomakarona and finikia is pretty much the same, but some times finikia are deep fried instead of baked.

Ingredients 200 gr of softened butter 200 gr of caster sugar 500 gr of flour A teaspoon of yeast 2 eggs

Preparation Beat eggs with sugar in a large bowl. Add softened butter, yeast and flour. Form a ball of dough, put it into the fridge and leave it in the fridge for 2 hours. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 4 mm thickness. Use a Christmas cookie cutter to cut bells. Santa claus, trees, sleighs, stars and angels. Put the shapes on a baking sheet. Bake them at 180 degrees C in the oven for 10 minutes! Enjoy

PICKLED PUMPKIN

Pickled pumpkin is a traditional Estonian side salad at Christmas. INGREDIENTS: &nbsp;2 kg peeled and chopped pumpkin 1 l water 2 tablespoons 30% vinegar 130-150 grams sugar 8 whole cloves 8 grains of allspice 1 cinnamon stick Spices can vary to taste; orange peels can be added.

INSTRUCTIONS: Dissolve sugar in boiling water, add spices in a small gauze bag, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the spice bag, measure the vinegar and add pumpkin. It may seem that there is not enough liquid, but the pumpkin releases a lot of juice. Boil for a few minutes, occasionally stirring with a skimmer to raise the pieces from the bottom to the surface. Pumpkin is ready when it is a bit soft, slightly crunchy, but not mushy. Ladle the pumpkin pieces into heated jars, pour in marinade and close the jars. If you intend to keep the pumpkin for a very long time, more vinegar and sugar should be added.

The Estonians are said to have a love affair with their bread - a dietary staple and cultural identifier. “Respect the bread, it’s older than you”, is a common&nbsp;Estonian saying. It refers to the history of&nbsp;Estonia, and&nbsp;the years of&nbsp;hardship and scarcity endured by&nbsp;many&nbsp;native Estonians.

The Estonians continue to value their varieties of black rye-based bread. Black&nbsp;rye bread&nbsp;(rukkileib) accompanies almost every savory food in Estonia. Traditional bread is made using a sourdough starter and may include berries, raisins and seeds. However, nowadays people prefer to buy their bread at shops due to the long leavening and baking times. There is a wide range of different options in all shapes and sizes in every local supermarket. Here is another traditional Estonian recipe of bread.

Les "Truffes au chocolat" were a real success! Many Estonian students tried to cook them! Let's see what they did!

Eleri and Mona cooked them and here are the results!

What you need: 1 kilo of pork, cut into chunks 1½ kilo of celery washed well and cut in 2-3 pieces 2-3 fresh onions finely chopped 1 dry onion finely chopped Olive oil 1 egg The juice of two lemons

What you do: Boil the celery in a pot without water until it is tender. Drain it off the liquid that will have oozed out. Sauté the onions in the olive oil and add the pork until it turns brown. Put in the celery and season with salt and pepper. Boil until pork is tender. At the same time, beat the egg and the lemon juice until they blend together into a frothy liquid. When the pork is cooked (and the cooker is off) fill a cup with its stock and pour it slowly in the egg and lemon blend. Stir well. Pour the soup-like liquid onto the pork slowly.&nbsp; Serve right away.

The author of the Greek recipes is Eli K. Giannopoulos

HOMEMADE KOURABIEDES RECIPE (CHRISTMAS GREEK ALMOND SNOWBALLS)

If you haven’t tried Greek kourabiedes / (Christmas Greek butter cookies) before, then you are certainly missing out! Soft, fluffy with a crunchy bite and rich almond (or pistachio if you are feeling adventurous) and butter flavour.. This super easy kourabiedes recipe will certainly set you on a festive mood! Kourabiedes are these delicious traditional Greek butter cookies, packed with the aromas of roasted almonds and fresh butter and garnished with luscious layers of icing sugar.. The ultimate Christmas cookie! Once put in the oven, the aromas permeate the house and bring back childhood memories..

KAMA FOAM AND CRANBERRY SNOW

INGREDIENTS: 2 dl whipped cream ~35% fat content 1 pack (250 gr) Mascarpone cream cheese 3 tablespoons Kama flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Christmas spices to taste meringue frozen cranberries or other wild berries

INSTRUCTIONS: Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla, mix with Mascarpone cream cheese. Add the Kama flour and mix evenly. Crush the prepared meringue into larger pieces between the hands and mix gently to the whipped cream. Crush the cranberries taken from the freezer with a blender, put Kama cream into glasses, set each serving apart with a spoonful of cranberry mixture. Ready to eat!

RED CABBAGE WITH APPLE AND WALNUTS

INGREDIENTS: 1 red cabbage (finely chopped) 25 grams of butter 1 apple (peeled and grated) 1 bay leaf 3 whole cloves 100ml vinegar cider 25grams of muscovado sugar (or brown sugar) &nbsp;a handful of roasted and chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS: Heat the butter in a large low pan. Add cabbage, apple, bay leaf and whole gloves. Stir and fry until the cabbage will appear wilted and slightly translucent. Then add the vinegar cider and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Stir carefully! Add sugar and stir until the sugar is melted. Remove from heating. Sprinkle the walnuts on top and serve.

Ingredients&nbsp;for the macarons: 100 gr of ground almonds 150 gr of icing sugar 2 egg whites 2 tsp of icing suger 2 tsp of cocoa powder For the ganache (filling) 150 gr of crème fraiche 125 gr of dark chocolate (white or milk chocolate can do it) 25 gr of butter Preparation Mix the ground almonds with the icing sugar and the cocoa powder in a blender for about 30 seconds. &nbsp;Sieve the mix so as to obtain a very thin powder. Beat the egg whites until they are very firm. You have to add the 2 tsp of icing sugar in three times while you are beating the whites. Preheat your oven at 150°c.

Mix the eggs whites with the powders mix. This is what is called “macaroning”. Do it delicately or your mix will liquefy too much. You can stop when it becomes glossy and quite smooth. It is not supposed to be too solid. Put your mix in a piping bag. Cover an drip pan with greaseproof paper, and put little domes of dough on it (about 2,5 cm large). Try to make them round and the same size! And leave 3 cm between each because they will become bigger. Tap the drip pan on your work surface to chase the air from the macarons. Leave the macarons rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. This is called “crusting”. After 45 minutes, touch one macaron with the tip of your finger: if is not sticky, it is ready to cook. Put them in the oven for about 15 minutes. It is important: do not&nbsp;cook them too long if you want the inside to be spongy and the outside crunchy. Then let them cool down completely before trying to take them off the greasing paper. Prepare the ganache, the filling: heat the Crème fraîche , melt&nbsp;the chocolate in it, and then add the cold butter. Put in the fridge overnight. Macarons are always better one day after, so the day after, take your ganache out of the fridge, put it in the piping bag. Take two macarons halves, put some ganache one one half and cover it with another macaron half. Your macarons are ready! If the result is not exactly like macarons the first time… try again! You often have to try more than once to have the perfect macaron.

INGREDIENTS 4&nbsp;cups&nbsp;plain flour 1/2&nbsp;teaspoon&nbsp;of salt 1&nbsp;ounce&nbsp;dry baker's yeast 1/3&nbsp;cup&nbsp;milk&nbsp;lukewarm 1/3&nbsp;cup&nbsp;water&nbsp;lukewarm 6&nbsp;tablespoons&nbsp;butter&nbsp;at room temperature 6&nbsp;tablespoons&nbsp;sugar Rind of 1 large orange&nbsp;grated 2&nbsp;large eggs 1&nbsp;tablespoon&nbsp;brandy or rum 1&nbsp;egg white 2&nbsp;cups&nbsp;assorted candied fruit&nbsp;chopped in different sizes

INSTRUCTIONS ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the middle. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a smaller bowl, dissolve the yeast into the lukewarm milk and water. Once the yeast is completely dissolved, pour the mixture into the well of the flour.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scrape in just enough flour from around the well to create a thick batter, sprinkle some extra flour on top, and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave the bowl in a warm place for around 15 minutes, or until the batter is doughy and sponge-like. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, in another medium mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine the butter and sugar until creamy. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once the dough is appropriately spongy, add the eggs, brandy, orange rind, and a splash of water to it. Mix well, until the dough is elastic and a bit sticky. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Add the butter and sugar mixture to the dough and mix until smooth. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shape the dough into a ball and cover in oiled plastic wrap. Keeping it in the large mixing bowl, cover it once more with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place away from draft. As the dough proves, it will double in size. This can take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours depending on the strength of the yeast culture. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Teachers cooked as well! Estonian teacher Anne tried the Greek "Pork with Celery".

Coral and Anna from Spain cooked these wonderful butter biscuits! Enjoy their cooking talent!

Ingredients Half kg bell pepper 1 spoon rice for each pepper 1 onion 1 spoon tomato paste Parsley 3 tomato Pepper (spice) Salt Mint Oil - Olive oil&nbsp;

HOW&nbsp;TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPER First we have to clean are bell peppers. Secondly we have to chop the onions and the tomatoes ( we are going to use the tomatoes edges for closing the peppers top.) Then we have to put the onions, tomato paste, rice, parsley, tomatoes, pepper(spice), salt, mint and add a little oil in a bowl then mix it. Later put the thing we mix in to the bell peppers. Put the suteffed peppers in to the pot. After that put hot water in a bowl and add 1 spoon tomato paste then melt the tomato paste in the hot water. Then pour this mixture in to the pot until it comes to half of the stuffed peppers. &nbsp;And then close the top of stuffed peppers with tomatoes edges. At last cook them in a low fire. Bon appetit. HOW&nbsp;MANY MINUTES DOES&nbsp;STUFFED&nbsp;PEPPERS COOK ? It cooks in 35-40 minutes. Also you can cook them in the oven. If we eat with yogurt it will be more delicious.

Preparation time: 10 minutes &nbsp; Cooking time: 20 minutes &nbsp; Ingredients for 4 persons&nbsp;: - 2 lemons - 120 of softened butter - 120g of flour - 120g of sugar - 2 eggs - 11g of baking powder

Preparation: - Preheat the oven to 180° C. - In a bowl, whisk the softened butter with the sugar and the eggs. - Add the flour and baking powder previously mixed together. - Pour the juice of the lemons and the zest collected thanks to a grater . - Pour into the baking pan. - Bake for 20 minutes. - At the end of cooking, turn over the cake. -When it has cooled down, you can top the cake with a thin layer of dark chocolate or with lemon zest as on the picture.

Uses Marzipan is normally used for icing Christmas cakes and birthday cakes and can be used to make sweets and petit fours. Christoffer Hruskova’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-floedebolle-recipe">Dark chocolate floedebolle</a>&nbsp;is a traditional Danish sweet using marzipan, meringue and chocolate, while Victoria Glass uses marzipan to make her delicious&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/swedish-princess-cupcakes-recipe">Swedish Princess cupcakes</a>&nbsp;and Sally Abe uses it in her classic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/battenberg-cake-recipe">Battenberg cake</a>&nbsp;recipe.

SDPF1989, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Two French students tried this recipe...with different results! :)

The Estonians have traditionally celebrated winter and summer solstices, which in Estonian folk-tradition are known as&nbsp;Christmas and&nbsp;Midsummer Night&nbsp;(23/24 June). Christmas time is still the most important holiday celebrated in Estonia. For the Estonians, Christmas is a mixture of the traditional, the modern, the pagan and the religious. Christmas Eve&nbsp;and&nbsp;Christmas Night&nbsp;were the most sacred times of the season, often characterised by fortune telling. With the help of the stars and the frost, the weather for the coming year and the next year’s harvest were predicted. It was believed that both good and bad forces were on the move on Christmas Night and that ancestors would visit the house.&nbsp;

The Christmas meal is eaten and gifts distributed on Christmas Eve or the night of Christmas in Estonia. It is an important family event originating from pagan times. There were to be seven, nine or twelve servings of food to bring good luck and plenty for next year's harvest. Food had to remain on the table all night long, and it was forbidden to peek under the table, for this was a sacred place where spirits lived and any food dropped was left there (the cult of the ancestors). The fire had to remain burning in the fireplace (probably as sun worship) for the whole night.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES (Piparkoogid)

No Christmas is complete in Estonia without the traditional gingerbread cookies on the table. They're easy to make and fun to decorate. INGREDIENTS: 500 g sugar 125 g hot boiled water 250 g butter (82% fat content) or margarine 3 teaspoons gingerbread spices (all or some of them: black pepper, allspice, clove, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom A dash of black pepper 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 700 g plain (all purpose) flour 2 eggs INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;top/bottom heat about 180°C fan oven about 160°C Pour 400 g of sugar to a saucepan and let it caramelise. At the same time boil some water. Stir the sugar with a wooden spoon until it has browned. Remove the saucepan from the heat and very carefully pour the hot water into the sugar and stir until it forms a syrup. Put the saucepan back on a low heat and add the remaining 100 g of sugar, butter, all the spices and stir until everything is mixed. Remove from the heat and let it cool until 36 degrees. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigoursly with a wooden spoon.

Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.&nbsp;Add salt , and one by one add the pasta to the water, cooking until al dente, about 12-14 minutes. Drain the water, and move the pasta to a cheese cloth to cool off. Set aside. In a large pan, heat the butter on a high flame until it melts and becomes foamy. Add the veal and pork and cook on high until it is completely browned. Add the jamon, cooking until it softens. Drain the fat from the pan. Add the milk, flour and parmesan, combine well. Add the truffles, salt, pepper, nutmeg, combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Take the pan off the heat, and let it cool. Stir in the egg. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, evenly divide the mixture between the pasta. Put the mixture at one end, and roll the pasta up. (If you are using the pasta tubes, simply stuff them with the mixture.)

Place the rolls in a 9 inch square baking dish, in a single layer. Cover with the Béchamel sauce (method below), and top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and the cheese is crispy and golden brown. Béchamel sauce method for traditional Spanish Canelones recipe: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heat the milk in a medium pan until almost boiling, being careful not to scorch the bottom. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Melt the butter in another medium saucepan. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Add the flour slowly, stirring out any lumps, until it is smooth. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cook until it is a light golden color, about 5-6 minutes. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Add the hot milk to the butter pan, very slowly, rapidly whisking until smooth. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Add the salt pepper and nutmeg, continuing to whisk until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat. Serve with fresh crusty bread.&nbsp;Note that this pasta is also quite versatile with it’s filling, spinach and ricotta cheese being another favourite combination seen worldwide.

The lemon pie was a real success! Many students tried to cook it! Let's have a look! Caspard has all the ingredients in front of him!

Daniel and Marta also tried to make the lemon pie!

Instructions Place the egg whites into the bowl of the electric mixer, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues). Add the egg yolks one at a time, whilst mixing; wait for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. In a cup add the orange and lemon juice and baking soda and blend, until dissolved and pour in the egg mixture. Add the white wine vinegar and the sugar and mix. Pour the mixture in a large bowl or basin and sift in the flour; add the oil and knead the dough using your hands, until smooth and elastic, and not sticky (if it is sticky, add some more flour). Separate the dough in four pieces, cover with some plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll out each part of the dough into thin rectangle sheets.&nbsp;

Diples get their name from the Greek word for “fold”. This means that you have to fold them. Using a rolling cutter, cut the rolled out dough into rectangular pieces (approx. 12×25 cm). Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, until shimmering but not smoking hot. Place a cut dough sheet in the hot oil. Using two large cooking forks and placing the edge between the tines of the fork, hold the end furthest away from you and roll the sheet away from you. Hold it a little with the fork in the oil, until colored and place on some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the rest. (It’s best to cut all the diples before you begin frying.)

Serves: 4 Side dish INGREDIENTS 170 g swede or turnip 150 g carrot 225 g potato water 60 g butter black pepper salt

INSTRUCTIONS Prepare the vegetables removing the outer skin, then cut it into small and even cubes. Boil vegetables in salted water placing them in the pot one after another (each after 5 minutes): first swede, then carrot and potatoes. Cook until the vegetables are cooked. The turnip and potato are soft, when they can be pierced easily with a sharp knife. Drain them but keep the water. Mash the hot vegetables until desired consistency in a pot over a low heat. This helps to keep it hot. Add butter, some cooking water if necessary, and grinding of black pepper. Check for seasoning.&nbsp;

Ingredients 250g&nbsp;butter made from cows milk, cold (Lurpak unsalted) 150g&nbsp;almonds, roughly chopped or&nbsp;almond slivers, roasted 50g&nbsp;almonds (whole) or&nbsp;almond slivers, raw 75g&nbsp;icing sugar 1 table spoon&nbsp;rose water 1/2 tsp&nbsp;vanilla extract 1 table spoon&nbsp;baking powder a pinch of salt 300g&nbsp;all-purpose flour lots of icing sugar for powdering

Instructions Preheat the oven to 200C. To prepare this kourabiedes recipe start by roasting the almonds. Place the roughly chopped&nbsp;almonds (150g ) or almond silvers on a baking tray and sprinkle with some water. Bake them for 7-8 minutes, until roasted, being careful not to burn them. Set aside or put in the fridge to cool.

In a blender, add the raw almonds (50g ) and blend, until powdered. Set aside. In a food processor, add the cold butter and sugar; mix for about 10 seconds, until the butter ‘breaks’ and is completely dissolved. Add the powdered almonds, a pinch of salt, the rosewater and the vanilla extract; mix for 10-20 seconds, until combined. At the end, add the baking powder and flour and mix again for 10-15 seconds. Place the mixture in a large bowl and add the roasted almonds; blend lightly with your hands. For the kourabiedes to remain fluffy,&nbsp;it is important that the butter doesn’t warm up and melt. So wait for a while for the roasted almonds to cool, before adding them to the butter mixture and&nbsp;wear plastic gloves, when blending with your hands, so that the temperature of your hands doesn’t warm up the butter.

<a href="https://www.gourmandbreaks.com/blog/traditional-spanish-canelones-recipe/">SPANISH “CANNELLONI” CANELONES </a>

This very popular Cannelloni dish appears all year round in Spain but “Canelones”, as they are called in Castellano Spanish, may well appear as a starter on special occasions, like Christmas Eve, when they may boast a more luxurious filling of prawns or lobster.&nbsp;Not to be confused with the Italian Cannelloni which is made with minced meat, and resembles a bolognese sauce,&nbsp;Spanish Canelones are most frequently enjoyed as the star dish on Boxing Day in Catalonia when they are normally stuffed with the roasted meat leftovers from the previous day.

Ingredients : ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Approx. 20 squares of cannelloni pasta ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2 tablespoons salted butter ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;¼ lb ground veal ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;½ lb ground pork ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3 oz. Jamon Serrano or prosciutto, finely chopped ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 cup whole milk ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 tablespoon flour ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus ¼ cup for topping ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;½ oz. black truffle, very finely chopped ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pinch of salt ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dash of pepper ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pinch of nutmeg ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 egg, beaten Béchamel sauce ingredients: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 cups of milk ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5 tablespoons butter ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 tablespoons flour ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;½ tsp. nutmeg ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2 tsp. kosher salt

While the dough rises, grease a large baking sheet for later use. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Punch down the dough and place it on a lightly floured countertop or cutting board. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You need to knead the dough for two or three minutes, and then roll it into a large rectangle; roughly 2 feet by 1/2 a foot.

The Greek students Marina, Maria and Dimitra cooked this recipe! We gave it our personal taste by sprinkling icing sugar on it!! Have a look at our efforts to cook this traditional Spanish dessert!

Emmanuelle, a French student, got this result for the Roscon too . Quite nice!

VASILOPITA CAKE RECIPE (GREEK NEW YEAR’S CAKE)

A delicious vasilopita recipe, infused with the aromas and blends of oranges and garnished with a thick and glossy vanilla scented sugar glaze! Vasilopita is a traditional Greek cake or bread served at midnight on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the life of Saint Basil. After baking the vasilopita cake, a coin is inserted through the base and when cut the person who finds the coin is said to be granted luck for the rest of the year! Vasilopita is made of a variety of doughs, depending on the region and almost every family has its own recipe. The most popular&nbsp;vasilopita recipes are either made with tsoureki dough or like a cake.&nbsp;

Once starting to prepare this vasilopita recipe, make sure that your&nbsp;butter is at room temperature&nbsp;before using. It is very important to&nbsp;mix&nbsp;the&nbsp;butter&nbsp;and&nbsp;sugar&nbsp;thoroughly&nbsp;until the butter is really fluffy and creamy, like whipped cream, and the sugar has dissolved. Give this step some extra time and the result will definitely reward you.&nbsp;In many vasilopita recipes, the eggs are added whole to the cake mixture but with this recipe the&nbsp;egg whites are beaten into meringues&nbsp;and combined towards the end with the rest of the dough. This is the secret to a more fluffy and airy vasilopita.

It was customary to eat large meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Night.&nbsp;The traditional Christmas main dish is roast pork with oven-baked potatoes, sauerkraut and&nbsp;black pudding with lingonberry jam.&nbsp;Today lots of people prefer lighter and less fatty meals.

To prepare this vasilopita recipe, start by dividing the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg whites in the bowl of the electric mixer, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues). Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside. Use the electric mixer, to mix the butter and sugar, for about 20 minutes, until the butter is creamy and fluffy, like whipped cream. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whilst mixing, allowing time for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. Pour in the orange juice, the vanilla extract, the orange zest, the yogurt and mix to combine. Add 1/3 of the sifted flour and blend, using a maryse spatula. Add 1/3 of the meringues and blend with light circular movements from the bottom up. Repeat with the rest of the flour and meringue (adding 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 meringue and then the remaining flour and meringue).

To bake the vasilopita, preheat the oven to 200C (both top and bottom heating elements on). Butter the bottom and sides of a round non-sticking cake tin (approx.32cm diameter) and pour in the mixture. Place the cake tin in the preheated oven, on the lower rack, turn the heat down to 175C and bake for 50-60 minutes, until nicely coloured and cooked through. Check if the cake is ready, by sticking in the middle of the cake a wooden skewer or toothpick. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready. Let the vasilopita cool down (otherwise it will break) and invert the pan on a plate. Wrap a coin with aluminium foil and stick it in the cake. Invert the vasilopita on a serving platter. Prepare the glaze for the Greek new year’s cake. In a large bowl add all the ingredients and blend with a spatula to combine, until the glaze is smooth and and glossy. Add a little bit more hot water, if needed (the glaze should be like a thin cream). Top the vasilopita with the glaze and even out with a spatula. Don’t forget to carve the number of the year on top of the glaze! Enjoy!

Prepare the syrup for the diples. Pour in a pot all the syrup ingredients and bring to the boil; boil for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved (do not stir the syrup). Place the diples on a serving platter and drizzle with the syrup (or if you like them extra syrupy, soak each one in the syrup for a few seconds). Sprinkle with ground walnuts and cinnamon. Alternatively, just warm up the honey, drizzle the diples and garnish with chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Alba from Spain cooked the Greek recipe Diples. Congrats Alba!

The Turkish team cooked the Greek snowballs - Christmas cookies. Turcs and Greeks share the same recipe called Kurabiye!

Christina from France tried it too with her grandpa!

This is an Erasmus+ Festive Recipe Book. Our "Cultures on a Palette" project could not be complete if we did not include a recipe book with all the festive, Christmas and New Year's recipes from the five participant countries: Estonia, France, Greece, Spain, Turkey. Read our recipes, learn about their history, try to cook them, enjoy! This is our culture!

The Greek students Rahul and Kazel tried to do this recipe. It was a real success. Have a look at the procedure of preparing this special Estonian bread.

Roscón de Reyes Recipe (Spanish Kings’ Cake)

The crown-shaped Kings’ cakes fill the windows of pastry shops every winter, and small children rub their hands with glee just waiting to bite into one. If they’re lucky, they’ll even break a tooth on a ceramic figurine of tiny baby Jesus hidden inside the cake! This is the day that families get together for a huge feast, unwrap presents (brought by the Three Wise Men/Kings), and head out to watch a parade of elaborately-decorated floats. And the prize part of the feast is the&nbsp;roscón de reyes, or Kings’ Cake.

This once-a-year dessert is made of an oval-shaped sweet yeasted bread, similar to brioche. It can be served plain, but most often you’ll see it sliced in half and sandwiching a layer of sweet whipped cream– perhaps even with chocolate whipped cream. The bread itself is topped with candied fruits, dried dates, and anything else sweet and colorful! When it’s put together, the cake is said to represent the crowns worn by the Three Kings who visited the baby Jesus in the manger.&nbsp; When a family sits down to eat a&nbsp;roscón, everyone is hoping to find the toy in their slice. Whoever nearly cracks a molar on a ceramic Christ gets good luck for the entire year! But if you’re the one who ends up crunching on a dried fava bean instead, it’s your job to buy the cake next Christmas.

Ingredients 50 gr unsweet cocoa powder 20 gr of butter 10cl thick fresh cream 250 gr dark chocolate

Preparation Pour the fresh cream into a saucepan and bring to boil. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in water bath with 1 tablespoon of water. When the chocolate is melted, off the heat, whisk the cream and butter together until smooth and homogenous. Leave to cool, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours. Take the ganache out of the refrigerator. Put the cocoa powder in a soup plate. Remove the ganache that has become a little hard with a small spoon. Form small balls and roll them in the cocoa powder. Place in a cool place until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Layer the bottom of 2 baking trays with parchment paper and form the kourabiedes. Roll 1 table spoon (about 30g) of the dough into a ball, place on the baking tray and push with your finger in the middle, to form a little dimple. Continue with the rest of the dough. Place the baking trays with the kourabiedes in second and fourth rack of the oven. Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes, until they have a very faint golden tint and are cooked through. Be careful not to&nbsp;overbake&nbsp;them. Leave the kourabiedes aside to cool down for a while. If you try to lift them, while still warm, they will break! Spray the kourabiedes with rosewater and sift with icing sugar. Enjoy!

Cultures on a Palette Erasmus KA229 2019-2022

Baklava İngredients 500g(1.1lbs)sugar 500g(1.1lbs) phyllo pastry 130g(1stick) butter 3tbs lemon juice 150g(5.2oz) walnuts or pistachio ½ cup oil Dough Ingredients 2 eggs ½ cup oil ½ cup yogurt 1 the salt 3 ½ cup of flour

Tip The tip is, the fılo dough must be super thin First, you make the baklava dough Second, make it all dough ball , cover it and let it rest for at least a half an hour in the meantime Then, roll out dough and add walnuts and cut use the sharp knife of course as much as possible After, pour the melted butter After then, roast in the oven and make syrup ( don’t forget add 3tbs lemon juice for syrup). Finally, pour the syrup into the fried baklava&nbsp;

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