chocolate-marble-2a

Aegina is an island very close to Athens, located in Saronic Gulf. Because of its proximity to the capital, it is a favorite destination of the people who live in the city and offers many alternatives not only in entertainment, but also in swimming.

In mythology Aegina was the daughter of Asopos River. She was the most beautiful out of her 19 sisters and that’s why she attracted the attention of our naughty and womanizer Zeus. He fell in love with her, abducted her (that was his usual tactic) and took her to Oinoni Island. He renamed the island, in her favor, to Aegina and they gave birth to a son called Aiakós. Zeus crowned his son as the king of the island and in order for him to have subjects he transformed all the ants of the island to people with the name Myrmidons. Does this remind you of something? Yes, Aiakós was the grandfather of Achilles. Pileus, one of Aiakós sons left the island along with the Myrmidons to go to Thessaly, where he married Thetis and gave birth to Achilles.

chocolate-marble

Aegina was inhabited from very early ages and it was part of the ally that fought against the Persians in Salamis. Also, after Greece’s liberation from the Turks, Aegina was, for a short period of time, the first capital of the newly born state.

In 1896 a doctor named Nikolas Peróglou started a systematic cultivation of pistachios. Soon after, many of the inhabitants started cultivating as well. By 1950 the pistachio cultivation has displaced all other agriculture, because of the high profit margin. Aegina pistachio is a product of Protected Designation of Origin. It is considered to be one of the best worldwide, better than many others, because of the specific climatic conditions that exist in the island and the characteristics of the soil. Dryness and volcanic soil make this particular variety extraordinary. The island carries about 29,000 acres of pistachio trees and the annual production is about 2,700 tons. This production, along with some others in other areas of Greece, makes the country first in Europe and sixth in the world with 9.500 tons per year.

chocolate-marble

Pistachios have the least amount of calories among nuts with only 3 to 4 calories per kernel. They contain high amounts of potassium which helps keeping cortisol, the hormone of stress, at low levels. They are rich in plant sterols and antioxidants which make them excellent weapons in decreasing bad cholesterol.

My son always asks for something sweet after meals. I understand his need for sugar as he is studying and that means that he needs big amounts of energy, but at the same time I don’t want him to consume white sugar all the time. We all know how bad it is for health and teeth. So, I am always in the search for easy, sugarless, “healthy” sweets. This is one of them. It does not contain any sugar only that of the different ingredients and honey. It is so easy to make and so packed with flavors.

chocolate-marble

 

5.0 from 4 reviews
White Dressed Chocolate Marble
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Dessert
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 150 gr. / 5 oz. butter, in cubes
  • 300 gr. / 300 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp Kahlua (if it is for small children you can omit this. My son is 13 so I thought that just one tablespoon in the whole sweet won’t hurt.)
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 100 gr. / 3.5 oz. any cookies you have at home, roughly chopped (I used chocolate chip)
  • ¾ cup any cereals but corn flakes (I used choco hoops)
  • 110 gr. / 4 oz. pistachios
  • 7 dried prunes, cut in small cubes
  • ¼ cup sour cherry preserve or glazed cherries (the preserve should be without the liquid)
  • Cocoa powder for dusting
  • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. In a pot add the butter, chocolate, honey, Kahlua and tahini and place it on low heat.
  2. Leave it until all ingredients have melted and incorporated.
  3. Turn off heat and set aside.
  4. In a glass bowl mix all the other ingredients.
  5. Pour the chocolate batter on top of them and mix to form a batter like mud.
  6. Take either a loaf pan of about 13cmX23cm / 5inX9in, 6cm / 2.5in. deep.
  7. Grease it with corn oil or any other vegetable oil and cover it with parchment paper, making sure it exceeds the long sides by about 5 cm / 2 in.
  8. Or you can put it in individual molds again following the same procedure.
  9. Pour the batter to the loaf pan or the small molds and place it/them in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  10. Unmold, let it stand for about 15 to 20 minutes, dust it with cocoa and pipe some whipped heavy cream on top and serve.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Inspired by taste.com

 
5.0 from 4 reviews
Λευκοντυμένο Μωσαικό Σοκολάτας
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Επιδόρπιο
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 150 γρ. βούτυρο, σε κύβους
  • 300 γρ. Σοκολάτα κουβερτούρα, χοντροκομμένη
  • 3 κ.σ. μέλι
  • 1 κ.σ. Kahlua (αν πρόκειται για μικρά παιδιά, μπορείτε να την παραλείψετε. Ο γιος μου είναι 13, έτσι σκέφτηκα ότι μόνο μία κουταλιά σε όλο το γλυκό δεν θα πειράξει.)
  • 3 κ.σ. ταχίνι
  • 100 γρ. οποιαδήποτε μπισκότα έχετε στο σπίτι, ψιλοκομμένα
  • ¾ φλ. οποιαδήποτε δημητριακά εκτός από κορν φλέικς
  • 110 γρ. φιστίκια Αιγίνης
  • 7 δαμάσκηνα αποξηραμένα, κομμένα σε κομματάκια
  • ¼ φλ. γλυκό βύσσινο στραγγισμένο από το ζουμάκι του
  • Σκόνη κακάο για πασπάλισμα
  • 1 φλ. κρέμα γάλακτος, χτυπημένη σε σαντιγύ
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Σε μια κατσαρόλα προσθέστε το βούτυρο, τη σοκολάτα, το μέλι, την Kahlua και το ταχίνι και τοποθετήστε τη σε χαμηλή φωτιά.
  2. Την αφήνουμε έως ότου όλα τα συστατικά έχουν λιώσει και ενσωματωθεί.
  3. Σβήστε τη φωτιά και αφήστε στην άκρη.
  4. Σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ ανακατέψτε όλα τα άλλα συστατικά.
  5. Ρίξτε τη σοκολάτα από πάνω και ανακατέψτε να σχηματίσουν ένα χυλό σαν λάσπη.
  6. Πάρτε μία φόρμα του κέικ μακρόστενη με διαστάσεις 13cmX23cm και 6 εκατοστά βάθος.
  7. Λαδώστε με αραβοσιτέλαιο ή οποιοδήποτε άλλο φυτικό λάδι και καλύψτε το με λαδόκολλα, φροντίζοντας υπερβαίνει τις μακριές πλευρές κατά περίπου 5 cm.
  8. Μπορείτε επίσης να το βάλετε σε ατομικά καλούπια και πάλι με την ίδια διαδικασία.
  9. Ρίξτε το μίγμα στο ταψάκι ή τα μικρά καλούπια και τοποθετήστε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον 4 ώρες ή όλο το βράδυ.
  10. Ξεφορμάρετε, αφήστε το να σταθεί για 15 με 20 λεπτά, ρίξτε το κακάο και τη σαντιγύ από πάνω και σερβίρετε.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Έμπνευση από το taste.com