Loukoumades
Greek yeast doughnuts fried in golden puffs and drizzled with a honey-orange syrup, then showered with crushed pistachios (or simply dusted with icing sugar).
Ingredients
| 1 cup (240 ml) | warm (not hot) water | |
| 8 g | dry yeast (or 20 g fresh) | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | sugar |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | oil |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | almond or cow's milk |
| 2 cup | 480 ml | sifted flour |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | salt |
| — | oil for deep-frying | |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | honey |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | orange juice |
| 1 | cinnamon stick | |
| 1 orange | grated orange zest | |
| 1 packet | vanilla | |
| — | crushed pistachios or walnuts | |
| — | icing sugar (optional) |
Instructions
- Dissolve the dry (or fresh) yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup (240 ml) warm — not hot — water. Once the yeast foams up, add 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 cup almond or cow's milk (whichever you prefer).
- Pour everything into 2 cups sifted flour with 1 teaspoon salt. Knead a soft dough, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until it triples in size.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop ping-pong-sized balls of dough and drop them into the fryer (oil heated to 180°C / 355°F), or into a pot of oil to deep-fry in an oil bath. Turn the doughnuts so they fry well on all sides, then drain on a rack or paper towels.
- For the syrup, warm equal parts honey and orange juice (about 1/2 cup each) with a piece of cinnamon, the grated zest of one orange and a packet of vanilla. Let it thicken slightly, then leave to cool, remove the cinnamon stick and pour into a pretty jug.
- To serve, place the loukoumades in a bowl, sprinkle with crushed pistachios or walnuts and drizzle with the syrup. Alternatively, simply dust them with icing sugar.