Category: Desserts

Easy apple crisp

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Learn how to make an easy apple crisp that will become everyone's favourite.

Learn how to make an easy apple crisp that will become everyone’s favourite.

You asked, and we are happy to help!! Over on our Mia Kouppa Facebook page, we asked you guys if you would prefer apple pie or apple crisp. The overwhelming majority responded with apple crisp. Of course, a few of you suggested that both would be great – and one person specifically asked for Shoofly pie. We looked that up. Shoofly pie has nothing to do with apples, but it does look delicious so thanks for that suggestion!

We’re not surprised that crisp won out over pie. The latter involves preparing pie crust; waiting while it chills, rolling it out, getting frustrated if it breaks apart. A great pie is worth all of this! But, when you want a fantastic apple dessert without much fuss, our easy apple crisp is the recipe you want to reach for. Try it once and we’re pretty sure you will make it again, and again, and again.

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Easy fall dessert recipes!

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Easy fall dessert recipes featuring your autumn harvest

Easy fall dessert recipes featuring your autumn harvest

Although we just adore summer, fall is where our hearts truly lie. There is something about the early days of autumn, when the morning air is brisk, the afternoon sun still warms your soul and the late evening chill ensures that sleep is sound and cozy. Fall is about harvesting and preserving the gifts of summer and enjoying the fruits, quite literally, of the fall season. Apples, pears, pumpkins. These are a few of the delicious reasons we love fall baking. What follows are some of our favourite easy fall dessert recipes starring these fall faves.

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Chocolate chip banana bread

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
The best chocolate chip banana bread, super moist and easy

The best chocolate chip banana bread, super moist and easy

Everyone needs an amazing banana bread recipe in their repertoire of recipes! We have already posted one of our favourites, a vegan banana bread that is simple, super moist and perfect for anyone following a plant-based diet. And now, we’re so happy to share with you what we consider to be the best chocolate chip banana bread. It is so moist, and so easy that you will probably start making it as often as we do…which lately has been at least once a week.

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Phanouropita

~ miakouppa ~ 6 Comments
Phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a symbolic and traditional Greek vegan cake full of meaning.

Phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a symbolic and traditional Greek vegan cake full of meaning.


On August 27 the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Phanourios (pronounced “fan-OO-ree-os”) (or Saint Fanourios), the Martyr and Miracle Worker. The saint’s name sounds similar to the Greek verb “phanerono,” which means “to reveal” or “to disclose”. In fact, people pray to Saint Phanourios to help them find lost objects, to reveal lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, to redirect them or reveal actions which should be taken, and to restore health. When a lost object is discovered, or when prayers reveal what is needed, a symbolic cake called a phanouropita is baked and brought to the church where it is blessed by the priest and then distributed among the parishioners.

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Semolina halva with petimezi

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
Semolina halva with petimezi, or grape syrup, is a perfect vegan Greek dessert

Semolina halva with petimezi, or grape syrup, is a perfect vegan Greek dessert

Σιμιγδαλένιος χαλβάς με πετιμέζι. We are so excited to share this recipe with you! We realize that it’s the first recipe we post using the very special Greek ingredient called petimezi (peh-tee-MEH-zee) , or grape syrup / molasses. Petimezi is pure, concentrated grape juice made from grape must and is perhaps the world’s oldest sweetener. It is a delight!

We love to get creative with halva. Once you get the basic recipe down, you can get very creative with the extra ingredients that will make your halva unique and special. This recipe is inspired by another dessert made using petimezi called moustalevria, a thick pudding made of grape must. Moustalevria is oven served with walnuts and sesame seeds, and so we have incorporated those two ingredients here as well. We hope that you love our semolina halva with petimezi as much as we do!

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Cherry and coconut brown butter tart

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
A cherry and coconut brown butter tart with a chocolate crust - pure decadence!

A cherry and coconut brown butter tart with a chocolate crust – pure decadence!

Are cherries expensive where you live? Here in our part of Canada the availability of delicious cherries is limited to a few months during the summer, and they tend to be costly. Of course, they also happen to be some of our favourite fruits, and for about a year it was the only fruit one of our daughters would eat. Like literally…the ONLY fruit.

So, when cherries are everywhere, or on sale, we like to stock up. They keep pretty well for simple snacking, but even when they are a few days past their prime we don’t let even one go to waste. Baking with cherries, making our cherry and chocolate chunk no churn ice cream, or canning the classic Greek spoon sweet with cherries, are all great ways to use up cherries that are still great, but perhaps not perfect.

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No churn cherry ice cream with chocolate chunks

~ miakouppa ~ 6 Comments
No churn cherry ice cream with chocolate chunks is a great summertime treat, no ice cream maker needed!

No churn cherry ice cream with chocolate chunks is a great summertime treat, no ice cream maker needed!

For the longest time we thought that the fanciest ice cream flavour which existed was Neopolitan. This was the ice cream that our parents always brought home from the grocery store, and we loved it. We loved the many options which existed in that one container. Simply strawberry? No problem. A bit of vanilla and chocolate? You bet! Lots of vanilla and a small taste of the chocolate and strawberry? Totally doable. We also loved that the carton held many secrets. Taking the ice cream from the freezer and realizing that almost all the strawberry ice cream was gone meant that our dad had enjoyed quite a few scoops – strawberry is his favourite flavour.

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Saragli or Baklava cigars

~ miakouppa ~ 5 Comments
Saragli or Baklava cigars are a traditional Greek syrup soaked dessert make with phyllo dough and nuts

Saragli or Baklava cigars are a traditional Greek syrup soaked dessert make with phyllo dough and nuts

Σαραγλί. Do you know what is arguably better than baklava, the king of Greek syrup-soaked desserts? Saragli ! Saragli (pronounced with the accent on the last syllable) are basically baklava rolled into cigar shapes, making them easy to eat with your fingers, which then requires you to lick your fingers clean of the sweet, sticky syrup the saragli are soaked in. Of course, you can always be civilized and use a fork, or a napkin. We won’t judge.

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Grilled peaches with feta and honey

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Grilled peaches with feta and honey is a simple and delicious summer dessert or brunch idea

Grilled peaches with feta and honey is a simple and delicious summer dessert or brunch idea

The idea of pairing fruit with feta cheese is certainly not a new one. Think of all the beautiful cheese platters you have seen; most have at least a small bundle of grapes nestled between the bries, goudas and aged cheddars. When it comes to Greek cheeses, many have discovered that the salty, sharp flavour of feta pairs deliciously with the sweetness of fruit.

A very popular fruit and feta combo is watermelon with feta, and there’s a good reason for that – it’s delicious! We have already shared two lovely watermelon and feta recipes; one which is served as small bites, perfect as passed appetizers, and the other which showcases the beauty of grilled watermelon.

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Raspberry lemon jelly roll cake

~ miakouppa ~ 8 Comments
A light, sweet, and slightly tart jelly roll cake perfect for summer.

A light, sweet, and slightly tart jelly roll cake perfect for summer.

Years ago one of us purchased a beautiful jelly roll pan that we found on sale. It’s a beauty of a pan. Sturdy, perfectly sized, and you can see it here in case you’re inspired to purchase the same one, or something similar like this one. The jelly roll pan came with dreams. We imagined homemade bûche de Noël at Christmas and fresh tasting delights like this raspberry lemon jelly roll cake.

Our imagination ran wild, for years. We used our jelly roll pan for all sorts of things; baking spanakopitakia, bougatsa and the pita bread we use for our Greek-style nachos. But a jelly roll cake, that didn’t happen until very recently; it seems we were a little intimidated by these cakes.

Fortunately, after a bit of trial and error, and a lot of baking research, we’ve got this recipe to offer you. A raspberry lemon jelly roll cake that tastes a little like raspberry lemonade – and it’s perfect! Light, delicious and easy to prepare, we think that this is a cake you will be excited to impress your friends and family with. We think that you’re even going to impress yourselves!

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