Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
The cultivation of vines in ancient Greece was quite significant not only to the local industry, but also to the growth of vine cultivation in all European wine producers. Its importance in ancient Greek society can be traced in a quote from the Greek historian Thucydides:
“The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine”.
The temperate climate and the Greek soil helped our ancestors to find new methods of viticulture and wine production. They shared them with winemaking communities in areas of France, Italy, Austria and Russia, as well as others, through trade and colonization and they influenced remarkably the ancient European winemaking cultures of the Celts, Etruscans, Scythians and ultimately the Romans.
Petimezi, in English grape must or grape molasses, is a thick, non-fermented grape juice. It is produced by cooking down must for hours, until it becomes dark and syrupy.
Petimezi has an almost endless expiry date, and it was one of the ancient sweeteners, along with honey. The ancient physician Hippocrates of Kos also mentions in his writings petimezi. “Its flavor is not just sweet, but much more complex, with slight bitter undertones. There are light colored syrups and dark colored ones. Both are dependent on the type of grape that is being used.” Source: Wikipedia.
Today petimezi is widely sold in supermarkets, but also it can be made at home. It is used in desserts and especially in grape molasses cookies and moutsalevrià a soft, pudding like, dessert for which I am going to give you a recipe in a following port.
Moustokouloura or as they are called grape molasses cookies, are very famous here and are sold in every bakery or even in s/m. There are two types; tough ones like cookies and soft ones. My husband is a big fan of them and he loves having couple of them for breakfast. Only, he prefers the soft ones. I have already given you the recipe for tough Moustokouloura so today I am going to share the recipe for the soft ones. The secret is while they are baked to cover them with another pan without this pan touching them. In this way they remain soft even after they cool. I also brushed them with honey and they were exquisite!
- 200 gr. / 7 oz. olive oil
- 120 gr. / 4 oz. grape molasses
- 180 gr. / 6.5 oz. water
- 100 gr. / 3.5 oz. pasteurized milk full fat
- 200 gr. / 7 oz. sugar
- 50 gr. / 2 oz. cognac or brandy
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ammonia
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 kilo / 2 lb all-purpose flour
- Preheat oven to 175° C / 350° F.
- In your stand mixer bowl mix the olive oil, grape molasses, water, milk, sugar and cognac.
- In a small bowl mix the baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, ammonia and baking soda.
- Throw the cinnamon batter to the olive oil batter and mix.
- Throw the flour to the batter and with the paddle whisk until we have a quite firm dough that gathers around it.
- Take a cookies tray and cover it with parchment paper.
- Make little cookies in any shape you want.
- Before you put them in the oven cover them on top with another pan making sure it doesn’t touch the cookies.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Remove the upper pan and let them cool.
- 200γρ. ελαιόλαδο
- 120 γρ. πετιμέζι
- 180 γρ. νερό
- 100 γρ. Φρέσκο γάλα πλήρες
- 200 γρ. ζάχαρη
- 50 γρ. κονιάκ
- 1 κ.γ. μπέικιν πάουντερ
- 1 κ.γ. κανέλα
- ¼ κ.γ. γαρύφαλλο
- ½ κ.γ. αμμωνία
- ¼ κ.γ. μαγειρική σόδα
- 1 κιλό αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- Προθερμαίνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Στο μπολ του μίξερ σας ανακατέψτε το ελαιόλαδο, το πετιμέζι, το νερό, το γάλα, τη ζάχαρη και το κονιάκ με το φτερό.
- Σε ένα μικρό μπολ ανακατέψτε το μπέικιν πάουντερ, την κανέλα, το γαρύφαλλο, την αμμωνία και τη μαγειρική σόδα.
- Ρίξτε το μίγμα της καννέλας στο μίγμα του ελαιόλαδου και ανακατέψτε.
- Ρίξτε το αλεύρι στο μίγμα και με το φτερό ανακατέψτε μέχρι να έχετε μια αρκετά σφιχτή ζύμη που να συγκεντρώνεται γύρω από αυτό.
- Πάρτε ένα ταψί και καλύψτε το με χαρτί ψησίματος.
- Φτιάξτε τα κουλουράκια σε οποιοδήποτε σχήμα θέλετε.
- Προτού τα βάλετε στο φούρνο καλύψτε τα από πάνω με άλλο ταψί, φροντίζοντας να μην ακουμπάει τα κουλούρια.
- Ψήστε για περίπου 25-30 λεπτά.
- Βγάλτε από το φούρνο.
- Βγάλτε το ταψί από πάνω και αφήστε να κρυώσουν.
