Talin’s — Favourite Sweet Tahini Bread Swirls

Many Years ago, I was at my Armenian Community Center and there was a Bazaar like a flea market type of event, and a couple of days before I went and assisted the Armenian Women’s Guild Group to make Sweet Tahini Bread Swirls to sell, So I learned how to make it from the Armenian Ladies and perfected it. So, I decided to write down the recipe to make it at home. I was so glad I did. It is incredibly tasty, and I enjoy making this. Although I have not made it in over a year, but I was thinking about it today, so I want to make it again this week, and Sweet Tahini Swirls are good anytime, any day. You can serve this with Coffee, Tea, Armenian Coffee, or at anytime. You can have it for Breakfast, or for a snack, whenever your heart desires. Well, Here is the recipe for this delicious dessert.

This is counted as 4 Bread Swirls of 16 Cm’s, but you can play around with the amounts according to how many you are making.

CREDITS: http://www.blago.net/baking/bread/lebanese-sweet-tahini-swirls/

Made some modifications, but full credit goes to the site above

Dough:

• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 120 ml lukewarm water
• 200 gr all purpose flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Filling:

• 4 small tbsp tahini
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4x tsp olive oil
• 4x tsp cinnamon

Use Flour on countertop or big cutting board to work with the dough and filling.

Make the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, and add the sugar and oil. Add the flour, a handful at a time. Quickly knead into a floppy, flexible dough that does not stick to the hands anymore. Leave covered in a bowl for about 2 or 3 hours, to rise. As all the air will be rolled out of it later, the stretchiness of the dough is more important than the amount of air in it.

Follow the Following Steps.

When the dough has had some time to rise, divide it into four balls. Roll out one ball at a time, into a rough rectangle of “pizza thickness” – about 2 or 3 mm (1). Scatter the teaspoon of olive oil over it. I combined the tahin with the sugar, added a teaspoon of finely ground lemon rind (packet) to that, and scattered the somewhat dryer tahin mixture, like crumbs, over the dough surface (2). Dust the tahin-sugar layer with cinnamon. Gently press it flat with the back of a spoon. You’re now ready to roll.

Pre-heat the oven to 190° C. If you use a baking stone, put it in the middle rack.

Dust the worktop with a bit of castor sugar and flour to help with the rolling. Cut squares of baking parchment of about 17 x 17 cm. Roll up the dough rectangle, starting at the longest edge. Roll and pull and gently twist a bit, and the resulting sausage will be much longer, about 40 to 50 cm (4). Taking one end as the center, now turn the sausage in on itself, forming a rolled bun (5). Gently press it flat with your hand, then transfer onto a piece of parchment, and use the rolling pin again to gently roll the bun into a 15cm wide flat circle, about a cm in thickness (6). Prepare as much swirls as your oven can hold in one go, leave the rest covered up.

Using a pizza peel or an extra-wide spatula to support the flat tahini swirls sitting on their separate parchment, quickly transfer them into the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or till parts of the surface have turned a deep golden brown. Get them out and leave them to cool and get nice and crispy on a wire rack.

Have some apple tea to go with that. Their taste is not overly sweet; and I love the combination of crunchiness with that slightly caramelized sesame filling. Roll over Swedish cinnamon buns, these tahini swirls are awesome!

CREDITS: http://www.blago.net/baking/bread/lebanese-sweet-tahini-swirls/

Have A Clean Kitchen While Cooking and Baking – Here is How

Do you ever wonder why it takes a long time to clean up after doing your cooking, baking and spending so much time after all that is done to clean, wipe mess, washing so many dishes and having to deal with a big mess after dealing with scrap of food left on the counter-tops, in the sink, or dropped on the floor? Are you looking for efficient ways to spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, washing dishes and all that jazz?

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you organized in the kitchen and having a spic and span kitchen:

– When you know what you are cooking or baking, take out all the ingredients and food that you will use all in one section.

– Take out cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cutting boards, pots and pans and have them ready.

– Foods, Veggies, Fruits, or other things that must be washed thoroughly and very well, wash them first before you turn on the oven or anything. before you wash them take out stems, and ends on fruits, veggies, and then throw all the scrap in the garbage before starting anything else, then if you see your counter-top dirty or cutting board. Give it a rinse and wipe down the surfaces while doing so. have a clean cloth.

– Wash whatever utensils, cutting board before you start to cook, so that you know not to worry about washing so many dishes at the end.

– When dealing with meats, have a separate cutting board or bowls to marinate your meats or however you want to cook it. Always a good idea to mix all your ingredients in a separate bowl then incorporate it with the meats so it will have an even flavour, then after you wash the bowl you mixed the ingredients with so that again less time washing later.

– Set up your table while the pan, pot is getting warm and hot and then that is where you start to cook. Now each time you put your food in the pan or pot or whatever, again wash the bowls that you put your food in and then all you need to do is just focus on cooking, then having to wash so many dishes before people come over, and having to clean up a huge mess in the kitchen. Have clean cloths ready and toss the other dirty cloths in the laundry hamper.

– When baking, it’s always a good idea to store your flour in a safe place so that you can just take it out, take the amount of flour needed then putting it back before you start any baking or anything. For safety reasons and for spill prevention all around. The sugar or baking powder that you use too. put everything back after using instantly.

– Now you want to give your guests your undivided attention and you want to spend as much time with them as possible right? So when you know they are coming over, always prepare things before hand and have things organized because if you start cooking, and everything when they are over, you will spend so much time in the kitchen and less time with your guests, family, friends or whoever comes over, so you want to prevent that and get organized with everything.

– It is a good idea to clean and wash left over dishes left from cooking or baking, then put them away and out of your sight so that all you need to wash are people’s plates, utensils and the cooking pans, pots which then shouldn’t take so long to do and when people ask would you like some help, include them into your cleaning process. gets done quicker and more time to relax later on.

Nowadays time is very precious and a lot of us deal with work, school, kids, family, friends, and this world has become so fast paced with everything like technology and its changed so much and we barely have time with our loved ones and the people who matter to us the most, and we want to do everything we can to make time and to save 10 minutes there, 5 minutes there, half an hour, so that is why I have come up with a method of cooking, cleaning in the kitchen so that you do not have to do it later and spend hours cleaning your house where you can spend hours with your family. I know with kids, pets or both can be a struggle to clean the house, but then again you gain more time with your family which is so important.

More tips, recipes and other things to come. Stay tuned.

Talin’s Famous Lemon with Lemon Zest Cake

Recently I decided to try something new for myself when I was preparing cake one time to take to a relatives house. So I decided to come up with a whole new different type of cake that involves Lemons. I am a huge fan of Lemons and It is such a good source of Vitamins and it helps the immune system. The Lemon cakes major flavour is definitely the Lemon and it has to have the Sweet/Sour Lemony taste to it. Now here is my famous recipe.

Ingredients Required:

2 Juicy big or Large fresh Lemons – If you like the extra Lemon taste add one more if you life.

Sugar

Flour

Baking Powder

6 Eggs

Milk

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract or Vanilla

Preparing the Lemon:

Now before squeezing the lemon I suggest you wash the lemons really well because were going to be using the Yellow skin to zest it.

Before squeezing the Lemons, take a zester and put the lemon skin that is ZESTED in a separate bowl. Zest until you see the white core of the Lemons, but make sure its not so so delicate to squeeze.

Now in a Lemon squeezer, make sure all the liquid juices are out of the Lemon. becareful for the seeds that they dont go into the juice.

Now put the Zest with the Lemon juice for about 5-10 minutes until soaked together until you start with the Cake batter preparations..

Preparing the Cake Batter:

Crack open 6 large eggs into the cake making bowl – for best results use the machine.

Start the machine and make sure the eggs are fully beaten and make sure it starts to turn into a light creamy yellowing colour.

Add the LEMONS/LEMON ZEST

Then put the teaspoon of Vanilla

After put 1 to 2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of Milk

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Baking powder

2 cups of Flour — check consistency. If its way too watery put about half a cup more of flour if it’s a little denser just leave it be.

Dont stop the machine until everything is mixed well together –

——————–

To prepare the Cake Baking Pan…

Make sure the Cake baking pan is deep.

Spray the pan with OLIVE OR CANOLA OIL with the cooking spray and make sure you have it all covered….

Add the Cake batter to the PAN Let the cake batter settle until your OVEN heats up

————————

Pre-heat your oven to 350

When your oven is pre-heated, put the Lemon Zest Cake in.

It should be done in an hour or so Depends on the strength of your oven. — Now to know its been done, just stick a tooth pick inside. If it comes out clear, its done, if it sticks to the toothpick it still needs to be done. Make sure its Gold Brown on top.

————-

Now before taking the cake out of the pan, let it cool off then put it onto a dessert plate. There you have it!

ENJOY!

Have A Clean Kitchen While Cooking and Baking – Here is How

Do you ever wonder why it takes a long time to clean up after doing your cooking, baking and spending so much time after all that is done to clean, wipe mess, washing so many dishes and having to deal with a big mess after dealing with scrap of food left on the counter-tops, in the sink, or dropped on the floor? Are you looking for efficient ways to spend more time with your loved ones and less time in the kitchen preparing, cleaning, washing dishes and all that jazz?

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you organized in the kitchen and having a spic and span kitchen:

– When you know what you are cooking or baking, take out all the ingredients and food that you will use all in one section.

– Take out cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, cutting boards, pots and pans and have them ready.

– Foods, Veggies, Fruits, or other things that must be washed thoroughly and very well, wash them first before you turn on the oven or anything. before you wash them take out stems, and ends on fruits, veggies, and then throw all the scrap in the garbage before starting anything else, then if you see your counter-top dirty or cutting board. Give it a rinse and wipe down the surfaces while doing so. have a clean cloth.

– Wash whatever utensils, cutting board before you start to cook, so that you know not to worry about washing so many dishes at the end.

– When dealing with meats, have a separate cutting board or bowls to marinate your meats or however you want to cook it. Always a good idea to mix all your ingredients in a separate bowl then incorporate it with the meats so it will have an even flavour, then after you wash the bowl you mixed the ingredients with so that again less time washing later.

– Set up your table while the pan, pot is getting warm and hot and then that is where you start to cook. Now each time you put your food in the pan or pot or whatever, again wash the bowls that you put your food in and then all you need to do is just focus on cooking, then having to wash so many dishes before people come over, and having to clean up a huge mess in the kitchen. Have clean cloths ready and toss the other dirty cloths in the laundry hamper.

– When baking, it’s always a good idea to store your flour in a safe place so that you can just take it out, take the amount of flour needed then putting it back before you start any baking or anything. For safety reasons and for spill prevention all around. The sugar or baking powder that you use too. put everything back after using instantly.

– Now you want to give your guests your undivided attention and you want to spend as much time with them as possible right? So when you know they are coming over, always prepare things before hand and have things organized because if you start cooking, and everything when they are over, you will spend so much time in the kitchen and less time with your guests, family, friends or whoever comes over, so you want to prevent that and get organized with everything.

– It is a good idea to clean and wash left over dishes left from cooking or baking, then put them away and out of your sight so that all you need to wash are people’s plates, utensils and the cooking pans, pots which then shouldn’t take so long to do and when people ask would you like some help, include them into your cleaning process. gets done quicker and more time to relax later on.

Nowadays time is very precious and a lot of us deal with work, school, kids, family, friends, and this world has become so fast paced with everything like technology and its changed so much and we barely have time with our loved ones and the people who matter to us the most, and we want to do everything we can to make time and to save 10 minutes there, 5 minutes there, half an hour, so that is why I have come up with a method of cooking, cleaning in the kitchen so that you do not have to do it later and spend hours cleaning your house where you can spend hours with your family. I know with kids, pets or both can be a struggle to clean the house, but then again you gain more time with your family which is so important.

More tips, recipes and other things to come. Stay tuned.

Talin’s Specialty Cinnamon Cake

One of my favourite things is to bake and to cook. I LOVE Making cakes. I am here to tell you about a basic cake you can make and its so simple. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare everything. Here it is. for something so simple, easy and fast.

Ingredients

2 Table spoons of Cinnamon

1 table spoon of vanilla extract

1 to 2 table spoon of baking powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

half cup of canola oil

1 cup of Milk….

6 Eggs.

How to prepare:

First you beat the eggs in the stand mixer, then you put in all the liquid ingredients, and beat them very well, then put in the dry ingredients. beat them very well together…

then you grease the pan with the cooking spray and then preheat the oven to bake mode to 350 c, then you put the cake batter into the pan, then you put it into the oven once its preheated.

Baking time takes about an hour to an hour and 10-15 minutes…

 

 

Talin’s Signature/Famous Cake Recipe

Baking cakes is one of my favourite things to do in the Kitchen… Here is my recipe:

6 Large Eggs ( must be mixed very well before adding things to it) must be like a very creamy colour.
1 1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 Cup of Canola or Mazola oil
2-3 Cups of 1% Milk (Depending on the consistency)
1 1/2 to 2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
3 cups of Flour (Make sure the batter is not too watery not too thick – in between but more to the watery side, but a creamy effect to it)(Put each cup one by one. let one dissolve then put the other in and repeat)
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon (OPTIONAL- You do not really have to)
Mix all that together in a Cake Mixer Machine (Or Dough Mixer)

Mix all ingredients very well and keep doing that for about 10 minutes with all of that.

Instructions

1. Get a Cake Baking Bowl or a Pyrex – Depending on the Batter Size. (Remember it will rise because of the Baking powder)
2. Spray the Bowl or Pyrex with Cooking Oil Spray – Covering the whole thing. do not miss spots.
3. Put the Cake batter (Let the cake batter Settle in…
4. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Celsius
5. Put the Cake in (cook for 45 minutes to an hour) depending on the strength of your oven. It may Vary so do check up on it from the oven window. If it starts to get golden brown on top it doesn’t really mean the inside is ready. (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR – That will make the cake flat)
6 – You know it will be ready if you stick a Toothpick in the cake and you play around a bit then take it out and if you see it clear with no batter stuck to it, then it is ready.
7. Take it out, let cool for 20-30 minutes maybe an hour then serve.

Then you have the option of decorating it with sprinkles, icing, or anything you want or have it plain too.
Will make a great dessert after dinner, or if you have a dinner party or take it to someones house. Very easy..

Estimated Preparation/Cooking time is an hour and a half

Talin’s Famous Lemon with Lemon Zest Cake

Recently I decided to try something new for myself when I was preparing cake one time to take to a relatives house. So I decided to come up with a whole new different type of cake that involves Lemons. I am a huge fan of Lemons and It is such a good source of Vitamins and it helps the immune system. The Lemon cakes major flavour is definitely the Lemon and it has to have the Sweet/Sour Lemony taste to it. Now here is my famous recipe.

Ingredients Required:

2 Juicy big or Large fresh Lemons – If you like the extra Lemon taste add one more if you life.

Sugar

Flour

Baking Powder

6 Eggs

Milk

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract or Vanilla

Preparing the Lemon:

Now before squeezing the lemon I suggest you wash the lemons really well because were going to be using the Yellow skin to zest it.

Before squeezing the Lemons, take a zester and put the lemon skin that is ZESTED in a separate bowl. Zest until you see the white core of the Lemons, but make sure its not so so delicate to squeeze.

Now in a Lemon squeezer, make sure all the liquid juices are out of the Lemon. becareful for the seeds that they dont go into the juice.

Now put the Zest with the Lemon juice for about 5-10 minutes until soaked together until you start with the Cake batter preparations..

Preparing the Cake Batter:

Crack open 6 large eggs into the cake making bowl – for best results use the machine.

Start the machine and make sure the eggs are fully beaten and make sure it starts to turn into a light creamy yellowing colour.

Add the LEMONS/LEMON ZEST

Then put the teaspoon of Vanilla

After put 1 to 2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of Milk

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Baking powder

2 cups of Flour — check consistency. If its way too watery put about half a cup more of flour if its a little denser just leave it be.

Dont stop the machine until everything is mixed well together –

——————–

To prepare the Cake Baking Pan…

Make sure the Cake baking pan is deep.

Spray the pan with OLIVE OR CANOLA OIL with the cooking spray and make sure you have it all covered….

Add the Cake batter to the PAN Let the cake batter settle until your OVEN heats up

————————

Pre-heat your oven to 350

When your oven is pre-heated, put the Lemon Zest Cake in.

It should be done in an hour or so Depends on the strength of your oven. — Now to know its been done, just stick a tooth pick inside. If it comes out clear, its done, if it sticks to the toothpick it still needs to be done. Make sure its Gold Brown on top.

————-

Now before taking the cake out of the pan, let it cool off then put it onto a dessert plate. There you have it!

ENJOY!