Festive dishes to brighten your table

Apple pie with Melomakarona and Cantuccini biscuits

For the apple pie

75g unsalted butter

5 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced (total 500 g)

3 tablespoons brandy

100g brown sugar

200g all-purpose flour

200 ml sour cream or sheep’s strained yogurt

3 large eggs

Juice and zest of 1 tangerine or orange (35 ml)

1½ teaspoons vanilla

1½ teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon gingerbread spices

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the crumble

80g Cantuccini biscuits

2 pieces (50g) melomakarona

30g unsalted butter

To make the crumble, beat the Cantuccini cookies and melomakarona together with the butter in the blender, until they have a crumb texture.

Preheat the oven to 175C and prepare a cake pan with a removable base (26 cm). Lay parchment paper on the base.

In a medium frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped apples and brown sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly tender and the sugar melts.

Add the brandy and, carefully, light the fire to evaporate the alcohol. Remove pan from heat.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sour cream, eggs, mandarin juice and zest, vanilla, baking soda, spices, and cinnamon.

Add the apple mixture to the bowl and mix gently.

Pour the final mixture into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check baking with a toothpick – it should come out clean.

Three minutes before the end of baking, sprinkle the crumble over the apple pie. Continue baking until golden.

Remove the cake pan from the oven and let the apple pie rest for five minutes. Carefully remove the apple pie from the cake pan using the parchment paper. Serve warm or lukewarm, accompanied by vanilla ice cream.

Pasta with Soy Cream, Truffle Sauce, Prosecco and Caviar

For the sauce

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

100ml Prosecco

200g soy cream

90g white truffle sauce

25g caviar

1 tsp thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

250g fresh or dried pasta

For the garnish

90g cheese flakes

25g salmon caviar

Melt the butter in a large frying pan.

Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, until tender.

Continue with the sauce, adding the Prosecco. Let it evaporate slightly and then add the soy cream and truffle sauce, stirring constantly.

Add the pepper and simmer until the sauce thickens.

At the same time, boil the pasta according to the time suggested on the package and drain it well.

Add the drained pasta, caviar and thyme to the sauce, stirring well.

Serve, garnished with extra caviar, freshly ground black pepper, and parmesan flakes.

Bellini with Peach and Thyme

150m (5 shots) Prosecco

30ml (1 shot) peach nectar

Put the peach nectar into a champagne flute.

Fill with Prosecco until 2/3rds full.

Garnish with fresh thyme.

Recipes provided by the Lidl food academy. Stasikratous 34, Nicosia 1010.  https://www.lidlfoodacademy.com.cy/