I don’t need a special reason to step into the kitchen. For me, this time is like therapy. A moment of calm. In my recipe repertoire, I have treats that I tend to prepare, no matter when, just to fill the jars on the countertop. I call them baking games. The mixing, kneading, oven warmth, and baking aroma are what bring joy to the household and invite them for a pampering taste full of love.
Sometimes, it is the simplest recipes that are truly brilliant. This week, I chose three such recipes. The first, cheese pockets (borekitas) from the Spanish and Balkan cuisine, I often prepare towards the weekend. If they are not eaten immediately, they always wait for the household in a box in the fridge, ready for a tasty snack.
The borekitas are individual pastries made from a wonderful flaky dough. Any change made to the dough gives it a different texture and flavor. You can vary the fillings (for example, meat or vegetarian) and also vary the shapes. Some people make them as crescents, rolls, flowers, small triangles, or in small individual molds.
The second recipe is for making crackers in a variety of flavors. No special ingredients are needed; all types of flour are usually available in our kitchen, and the spices are very basic. If we lack a certain ingredient, it can easily be replaced with another. Even with spices, you can experiment and adjust to your taste.
This time, I combined different types of seeds I had in my pantry, but you can adjust according to your preference, just make sure to keep the same quantities. Having homemade crackers at home is wonderful. They are an excellent solution for unexpected guests. They can be taken straight from the freezer, thawed quickly, and used as a base for toppings often served on bread slices.
The third recipe is for a dish I often prepare, each time with a different combination of additions and flavors depending on what I have in the fridge at that moment. It’s biscotti, cookies combining dried fruits and nuts. They are crispy, fun to dip in a hot drink, and most importantly, their crunchy texture lasts for a long time.
Before preparation, it’s important to have a nice glass jar or decorative tin box to place the finished cookies in. I love glass jars where the beauty of the cookies can be seen, and I tie a decorative organza ribbon around them. The dough for making biscotti is very simple: Mixing flour, eggs, sugar, spices, and nuts or almonds that give the cookie a speckled appearance and create the special texture.
You can make them 12–15 cm long, or very large cookies of about 25 cm, which I usually give as gifts. The dough is shaped into loaves with wet hands, as it is slightly sticky. Place the loaves with ample spacing on a baking tray. The loaves expand and flatten slightly while baking.
Next, brush them with a little water. If sliced thinly, they are crisp and crunchy in every bite; if sliced thickly, about 1 cm, they are perfect for dipping into a warm drink. The cookies are baked twice, hence the name “biscotti,” which means “twice baked.” Bake once when shaped as a loaf, and the second bake is done after slicing the cookies. Dry, cool, and store.
Cheese Pockets / Borekitas
Ingredients (for 25–30 pockets):
Dough:
250 g sifted flour
50 g butter, margarine, or margarine-type spread
½ cup sour cream
1 small potato, cooked and mashed
2–3 tablespoons oil
Filling:
1 cooked potato, mashed
50 g Bulgarian cheese
100 g white cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
For brushing:
Egg white
Topping:
1 beaten egg
Garnish:
¼ cup sesame seeds
Preparation:
Place all dough ingredients in a large bowl and knead until smooth. Chill in the fridge for one hour.
In a medium bowl, mix all filling ingredients until uniform.
Flour the work surface and roll out the dough to ½ cm thickness. Cut circles with a glass. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle.
Brush the edges with egg white and fold each circle into a half-moon. You can shape the pockets by pressing the dough with a fork or pinching lightly around the crescent.
Arrange the pockets on a baking tray with spacing. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (medium heat) for about 20 minutes and let cool.
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: About 40 minutes, excluding chilling
Type: Dairy
Snack Crackers
Ingredients (for two baking trays):
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
4 tablespoons flax seeds (can mix with light or dark sesame)
3 tablespoons nigella seeds
2 tablespoons whole poppy seeds
3 tablespoons chia seeds
4 tablespoons spelt flour (or any flour, even teff)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups boiling water
Optional seasonings: Black pepper, coarse salt, crushed chili, za’atar, cumin, hot paprika
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients (except seasonings) in a large bowl until uniform. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Divide the seed mixture in half. Spread each portion evenly on a tray. Sprinkle your chosen toppings and press lightly.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (or turbo) for 30–40 minutes until lightly golden. Cool for 30 minutes, break into pieces, and store in jars or airtight containers.
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: About 50 minutes
Type: Parve (neutral)
Nut Biscotti
Ingredients (for about 50 cookies):
3 cups sifted flour
1 packet baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 packet vanilla sugar
1–2 drops high-quality vanilla extract
3 large eggs (XL)
½ tsp salt
1½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons liqueur or orange juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1½ cups hazelnuts (or pecans or walnuts)
1½ cups almonds (or pistachios)
1 cup light raisins
Preparation:
Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine to form a dough. With wet hands, shape 2–3 loaves and place with spacing on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 35 minutes until the center is firm but still light. Remove and cool completely.
Slice each loaf into ½–1 cm slices. Place slices cut-side down on a tray and bake at 150°C for 15–20 minutes, then flip and bake another 15–20 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: About 1 hour
Type: Parve (neutral)
Tips for success:
For extra crispness, replace one whole egg with two egg whites.
You can make biscotti with just one type of nut and combine with dried fruits like apricots, prunes, or chopped dates.
For visual variation, replace half of the flour with bitter cocoa powder and add ½ cup chocolate chips.
For texture variation, replace half the almonds with coconut flakes, chocolate chips, or ginger.
For uniform and stable slicing, cool the loaves thoroughly before slicing. Use a serrated knife.
Gluten-free, sugar-free option: Replace regular flour with gluten-free flour and sugar with a sugar substitute or agave syrup.