Braided Sweet Yeast Bread (Paskalya Çöreği)

Paskalya means Easter in English and the literal translation of this sweet, so common in Turkey, is something like Easter Cake.

½ cup milk * 20 g yeast * 8 ½ cups flour * 2 cups sugar * 4 eggs * 250 g de margarine * 1 tbsp mahaleb * 15 cardamom seeds

For the covering:

1 egg yolk * 25 g crumbled hazelnuts

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk, add 2 cups of flour and mix. Let it rest for 10 minutes in a warm ambience with the bowl covered. Meanwhile, mix the sugar with the eggs. Melt the margarine and let it cool down. Place the rest of the flour in a bowl. Add the mixture of the yeast with the milk, the mixture of the eggs and sugar, the melted margarine, the mahaleb and the grinded cardamom seeds. Knead the dough very well with your hands and let it rest in a warm place. Separate 3 portions of dough, make three three rolls with your hands and give it the shape of a braid. Place in an oven tray, brush with an egg yolk and sprinkle with the crumbled hazelnuts. Bake on a 180º preheated oven.

Spinach Cake with White Cream (Ispanaklı Pasta)

300 g spinach (only the leaves) * 4 eggs * 200 g flour * 200 g sugar * 1 tbsp baking powder * 1 tbsp vanilla extract * 50 ml orange juice

For the covering:

4 ½ cups milk * 5 tbsp corn starch * 1 ½ cup sugar * 2 drops mastic * 2 kiwis

Place the spinach leaves in the mixer to obtain spinach juice. Put the flour in a bowl and open a hole in the center. Place inside the eggs, the sugar, the spinach juice, the vanilla and the baking powder and mix well. Put the mixture in a greased round cake pan and bake on a 180º preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let it cool down. Then, divide the cake in two parts and pour on the orange juice. Prepare the covering. Take to low heat the milk mixed with the corn starch and the sugar. Stir continuously with a wood spoon until you get a consistent cream. Take from the fire and add the mastic. Cover one half of the cake with the cream and then place the other half of the cake over it. Cover the cake with the rest of the cream and garnish with the kiwis.