PDSWIFE! Need help with Greek dessert

[buckytom]

hiya pdswife,
i was wondering if you've ever heard of a greek dessert, pronounced "ick-mick". it is toasted shredded wheat drizzled in honey, topped with sweet white custard and slivered almonds. thanks for your help.

 

[pdswife]

Hi Bucky! I haven't heard of it... but.. I'll go get my Greek cookbooks out and see what I can find.

smiles, Me

 

[Toots]

Its called Eck Mek (spelling?). I've had it many times at a Greek place near my former home. I think I have a recipe for it - I can dig it out if you like. Try googling it too, I am pretty sure its called Eck Mek - its YUMMY.

Edited to add the recipe - I googled Eckmek and found several recipes, here is one that looks pretty easy - now I am craving it too.

Kataïfi Ekmek
Custard Desert ​

​

A sweet, creamy dessert made with a base of kadaife pastry dough. Kadaife is finely shredded fillo dough that can be purchased at a Greek or Middle Eastern specialty grocery store.

INGREDIENTS:
Crust Ingredients:

• 1 pound frozen kadaife (shredded fillo pastry dough) or 1 box Shredded Wheat (large biscuits)
• ¾ cups sweet butter, melted
• Milk/water

Syrup Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Custard Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients: ​

• 2 cups whipping cream ​
• ½ cup powdered sugar ​
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ​
• Sliced toasted almonds (optional) ​
• Maraschino cherries (optional) ​
• Cinnamon (optional)​

DIRECTIONS:
To Prepare Crust:

• Crumble frozen kadaife or shredded wheat biscuits into a 13x9-inch glass baking dish (If using shredded wheat, dip lightly in milk or water before crumbling into baking dish); make at least a ½ inch layer of kadaife/shredded wheat base.
• Drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake at 350 ° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool.

To Prepare Syrup:

• In small pot, combine sugar, water, and flavoring.
• Bring to a boil and simmer 10-15 minutes.
• Spoon syrup over kadaife and cool.

To Prepare Custard:

• Combine cornstarch and sugar in small bowl.
• Add cold milk and whisk until no lumps appear.
• Pour milk mixture into saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until milk mixture bubbles and thickens.
• Turn heat to low.
• Beat eggs yolks in separate bowl.
• Add hot milk mixture, ladleful by ladleful, to egg yolks.
• Incorporate at least 1 cup of milk mixture into eggs.
• Slowly pour back egg/milk mixture into pot.
• Add vanilla.
• Cool custard for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent “skin” from forming.

To Prepare Topping:

• Beat the whipping cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff.

To Assemble Ekmek:

• Spread custard evenly over kadaife crust.
• Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
• Top with layer of whipped cream.
• If desired, decorate top with almonds and cherries or sprinkle top with cinnamon.
• Chill well before serving.

 

[cara]

found something called ekmek... but it is german... if you ask google it will bring you something in your language...

 

[pdswife]

http://baking.about.com/od/greekdesserts/r/kataifeshredded.htm ( googled and found this one )



Kataife ( from our "Popular Greek Recipes" cook book)
2 pounds Kataife
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
4 cups walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon
2 cups hot milk

Mix the melted butter thoroughly with the kataife.
Combine the nuts, the sugar and the cinnamon.
In a greased 11 by 16 baking pan, alternate layers of buttered
katafe and nut mixture, start and end with the kataife.
Pour hot milk over all. Cover with tin foil and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover and immediatly port the hot syrup over the pastry. Cover with cloth towel to keep in the moisture. When cool cut into diamond shapes. This will make about 60 treats.

Syrup:

4 cups sugar
2 cups water
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup honey (opt)

Boil sugar, water and lemon juice over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add honey and slimmer 5 minutes.


Is this what you're looking for Bucky??

 

[buckytom]

thank you very much, toots, cara, and pdswife.

pdswife, it didn't have nuts in it, but thanks for the recipe, that's a keeper too!

i can't wait to try to make this. dw's birthday is coming up, so it may be her birthday "cake".

 

[pdswife]

She's a lucky girl!!