Recipe: semolina rec. collection

Here are a few... The bread rec. looks good but will take up some of your precious time... Others shouldn't be too troubelsome... happy cooking, packing and moving! ^__^
------------------------
Revani (Semolina Cake)
(I was told this is also quite sweet?)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: Revani (Semolina Cake)
Categories: Cakes, Greek, Desserts
Yield: 16 servings

1/2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 1/3 c Fine semolina or farina
4 lg Eggs; separated
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Olive oil
2 Lemons; grated zest only
1/2 ts Almond extract
1/2 c Orange juice
1 ts Vinegar; for the bowl
1/16 ts Cream of tartar
1/2 c Blanched, slivered almonds

MMMMM---------------------------SYRUP--------------------------------
3/4 c Sugar
2 Lemons; zested and juiced
1 1/2 c -Water
1/4 ts Almond extract

Make the syrup ahead. Combine the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and
water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes then add
the almond extract. Remove and chill overnight.

Line a 10-inch-square cake pan, that is at least 3-inches deep, with
parchment. Sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir in
the semolina. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, olive oil, lemon zest, and
almond extract together until pale and creamy. Beat in the flour
mixture, splashing with orange juice to moisten it.

Wipe a mixing bowl with a cloth moistened with vinegar, then put in
the egg whites. Beat with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks
form, then fold into the batter. Pour into the pan and sprinkle with
the almonds.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for about 45 minutes until golden
brown. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, cut into squares.
Slowly pour the chilled syrup over it.

Makes 16 slices
----------------------
This is not too difficult to make. I tried this dessert at my favoritegreek cafe and love it...

PHYLLO-CUSTARD PIE
This recipe for the classic Greek dessert called galaktoboureko is from Romeo, a delightful place in Old Town.

1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup semolina flour*
3 cups whole milk
11 tablespoons (about) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed
*Available at specialty foods stores, Italian markets and some supermarkets.

Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and simmer 2 minutes. Set syrup aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix semolina and 1/2 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and 4 tablespoons melted butter; bring to boil, whisking occasionally. Boil until mixture is thick and creamy, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in semolina mixture. Mix in vanilla. Cool filling completely.
Lightly butter 10-inch glass pie dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of dish. Brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet. Continue layering with 3 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Spoon filling into dish. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Using scissors, trim excess phyllo from sides of dish. With very sharp knife, score tip of phyllo sheets, forming diamond pattern.
Bake pie until phyllo is golden brown and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack. Immediately strain 1 cup cooled syrup over pastry. Cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 10 to 12.
------------------------
How about some bread? But these may take up some of your packing time...

SEMOLINA BREAD
Every village on Sardinia makes its own special breads, and its rumored that there are five hundred different kinds on the island. This particular one comes from the area around Cagliari and was originally a holiday bread. It is now available every day. Formed into semicircles and called cocoeddi, it is made from a simple starter named biga, which gives the bread its special aroma, flavor and texture by producing a second fermentation. The starter can be kept in the refrigerator up to five days or can be frozen; before being used, it should be brought to room temperature, which takes about three hours.

Starter
1/4 cup warm water (105 F. to 115 F.)
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons water, room temperature
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Bread
2 1/2 cups warm water (105 F. F. to 115 F.)
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 3/4 cups finely ground semolina flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
Additional semolina flour

For Starter:
Combine 1/4 cup warm water and yeast in medium bowl. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons room temperature water. Add flour in 3 additions, stirring well after each addition Stir until mixture has consistency of thick sticky dough, about three minutes. Light oil large bowl. Transfer starter to a bowl. Cover with plastic; let rise at cool room temperature until tripled in volume (starter will be slightly wet and thick), at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

For Bread
Pour 2 1/2 cups warm water into large bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes. Measure 2/3 cup starter (reserve remainder for another use). Rub between fingers, allowing starter to drop into yeast mixture (starter will be stringy). Beat until some of the starter dissolves. Combine flour, 3 3/4 cups semolina and salt in large bowl. Add to yeast mixture in 3 additions; beat until incorporated. Turn out unto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.
Oil large bowl. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Punch down dough. Divide into 4 pieces. Cover 3 pieces with clean towel. Roll remaining piece on floured surface to 14x8 inch rectangle. Starting at 1 long edge, roll up dough jelly roll style. Press ends and seam to seal. Bend dough into half-circle. Using sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep incisions every 1 1/2 inches in the top of the dough. Sprinkle with additional semolina. Place on a prepared sheet. Repeat rolling and shaping with remaining dough pieces.
Cover shaped dough with clean towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45.
Meanwhile, position 1 rack in bottom third. If available, place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 450 F. Let stone heat at least 30 minutes.
Place 1 baking sheet on each stone. Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, alternating sheets between racks halfway through baking, about 25 minutes. Cool bread on racks.

Makes 4 small loaves.
-------------------------------------
Or these for dinner time?
Classic Baking Powder Biscuits

Durum semolina makes these very contemporary but underneath there is a classic. Just the thing to serve with fried chicken. If using for shortcake, omit the semolina, reduce salt to 1/4 tsp. and add 2 tablespoons sugar.

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pastry flour
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. shortening or mix of unsalted butter and shortening
2/3 - 3/4 cup cream (or milk)
melted Butter for brushing tops of biscuits
1/3 cup, approx. of wheat semolina (1 tsp. for sprinkling over biscuit tops)

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine flours, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse, grainy meal. Sprinkle milk or cream over flour, stirring lightly with a fork until ingredients are evenly moistened. Mix with your hand, and turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few more times until just rollable. Roll to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness and cut with a 2 inch cookie cutter. Brush tops liberally with melted butter. Sprinkle with semolina. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 12 - 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen biscuits.

NOTE: These tested well in a 425 oven. If this is too hot for your oven, reduce heat to 400 and bake a minute or two longer.

-------------------------------
make these for dessert or give them to ur old neighbors as a good-bye gift? ^__^

SEMOLINA BUTTER COOKIES
(Adapted from Paula Wolfert)

1 cup semolina #1 (coarse grind)
1/2 cup cake flour (can be 1 T. corn flour + 7 T. all-purpose flour)
1/2 all-purpose flour
1 cup clarified butter (or just regular butter)
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Whole blanched almonds

Sift the semolina, cake, and all-purpose flours into a small bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter in a medium bowl at medium speed until white, light and fluffy. The more you beat, the lighter the cookie. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar and zest. Continue to beat for 2 minutes. Remove from the mixer and gradually fold in the flours. The dough will be quite soft; refrigerate for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Shape dough into diamond-shaped cakes about 1-inch wide and 1/2-inch thick. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Place an almond on the top of each cookie and bake for 35- 40 minutes. They will be very fragile, so allow then to cool for 1 hour on the tray.
Yield: 2 dozen