Kataifi Eton Mess

Ingredients

375g Kataifi Pastry

100g Butter, melted

Whipped cream

Macerated strawberries

250g strawberries, hulled & halved

1-2 tbsp caster sugar

Juice of half a lemon or lime

Method

Take half a packet of kataifi pastry and place it in a bowl (place the remainder back in the fridge, sealed tightly in its packet).  Loosen the kataifi strands with your fingers to separate. 

Pour over the melted butter and mix through with your hands, ensuring all strands are evenly coated.

Place the kataifi pastry on a lined baking tray, in a moderate oven for approx. 10 mins or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven & allow to cool. Break up with your hands to a chunky crumb consistency & set aside.

Place the cut strawberries, sugar & lemon/lime juice in a bowl, stirring through until the strawberries are well coated.  Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30mins.  The longer you leave the strawberries to soak, the softer and more of a liquid they become. 

To assemble each eton mess, layer in each glass, the strawberries, cream and a sprinkling or kataifi crumb.  Repeat until the glass is full.

Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul

Kataifi Fruit Cups

Ingredients

Makes 5 cups

375 g packet Antoniou Kataifi pastry

150 g butter, melted

Fresh fruit, roughly chopped

3 cups yoghurt, cream or ice cream

Garnish options

Melted dark chocolate

Grated chocolate

Nuts

Lime zest

Biscuit, crumbled

Method

Preheat your oven to 200 deg C and line a large tray with baking paper.

Pour the melted butter through the kataifi and mix with your hands until well combined.

Using a 7cm cookie cutter as your mould, place 25 grams of the kataifi in the mould and press down to form a disc.*

Repeat with the remaining kataifi until you have 15 discs.

Cook in the oven for 10 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using.

Prepare your fruit cups by placing a kataifi disc on the bottom of the glass. Add cream or yoghurt, followed by fruit & garnish. Repeat this method until the cup is full (approx. 3 discs). 

*Note: Measure your serving glasses to ensure you use the right size cookie cutter for a perfect fit.

Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul

Kataifi Nests with Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients

Makes 4 panna cotta

Kataifi Nests

Half a 375 packet Kataifi pastry

Butter or ghee, melted (we use Pepe Saya)

Pana Cotta

400ml milk

400ml pouring cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

150g of caster sugar

2 titanium strength gelatine leaves

Method

Kataifi Nests

Tease the Kataifi pastry apart with your fingers to loosen and place in a bowl (Place remainder back in the packet, sealed tightly for later use).

Pour over melted ghee, mixing with your hands to ensure the ghee is evenly distributed over the Kataifi pastry.

Pull away small bundles, roughly 10cm in length and begin twisting.

Place the twisted kataifi on a lined baking tray, arranging in a donut or nest shape.  Repeat with remaining pastry until you have as many nests as you need.  

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack and then place on top of your set panna cotta, with any fruit of your choice.

Panna Cotta

Over a medium heat, bring the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat.

Place one gelatine leaf at a time into cold water to soften together (this will ensure they don’t stick) for about 30 seconds.

Once soft, squeeze out excess water and whisk the gelatine leaves into the warm cream to dissolve.

Strain the mixture into a large jug through a fine sieve. Pour into small decorative glasses.

Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until set.

Lemon Curd and Custard Kataifi Tart

Ingredients

160g Kataifi pastry (a bit less than half a packet)

75g melted butter

Lemon Curd

½ cup caster sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

3 egg yolks

75g butter, cubed

Vanilla Custard

2 cups full cream milk

2 eggs

2 heaped tbsp. corn flour

1 tbsp sugar (to taste)

1 vanilla bean, seeds

Method

Preheat your oven to 170 deg C.

Place the kataifi in a bowl separating the strands with your fingers to loosen the bundle.

Pour the melted butter over the kataifi working through with your hands to ensure the pastry is evenly coated.

Take small handfuls of the kataifi, laying across the pie dish, stretching out to cover the base and up the sides.  Continue with remaining kataifi until the dish is covered.

Bake for 12 mins or until golden brown. Allow the pie base to cool in the pan for 5 mins before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Fill the kataifi pie base with the cooled custard, followed by the lemon curd and top with fresh raspberries or fresh fruit of your choice.  Serve immediately.

For the lemon curd

Place the sugar, lemon juice, zest and egg yolks in a bowl over a heavy-based saucepan filled with a little water on medium heat.

Whisk constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon.

Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in butter until combined. Cover surface with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until chilled.

For the vanilla custard

Heat the eggs, milk, sugar, corn flour and vanilla in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. 

Stir continuously until the custard begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon. 

Leave the custard to cool completely before pouring into the cooled tart case.

Chocolate Kataifi Jam Sandwiches

Ingredients

375g Antoniou Kataifi pastry

100g butter melted

250g raspberry jam

800g dark chocolate melts

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Preheat your oven to 200oC and line a large tray with baking paper.

Pour the melted butter through the kataifi until well combined. Using a 10cm cookie cutter as your guide place 20 grams of the kataifi in the mould and squash down to form a disc. Repeat with the remaining kataifi until you have 18 discs.

Cook in the oven for 10 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave until completely smooth and add the vegetable oil. Stir well and set aside.

To make the sandwiches, add a heaped tablespoon of raspberry jam to one disc and spread evenly. Top with another disc and dip in the melted chocolate ensuring it is evenly covered. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and repeat with the remainder of the ingredients until you have 9 sandwiches.

Serve topped with fresh raspberries.

Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul