Loukoumades

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 300 g (2 cups) flour
• 250 ml (2 cups) warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• oil for deep-frying (non-fragrant oil like corn oil)
• 1 tbsp of sugar mixed with cinnamon, to serve

Syrup

• 220 g (1 cup) sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 125 ml (½ cup) rosewater

Proving time 2 hours

Instructions

1. To make the dough, dissolve yeast in a cup of warm water. Add ½ cup flour and mix until smooth. Cover and leave briefly to rise.
2. Transfer to a larger bowl and add the rest of the flour, water and salt. Mix until it becomes smooth and elastic in consistency.
3. Form dough into a long roll. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 2 hours until it rises (approximately double in size). Allow longer if temperature is cool.
4. To make the syrup, in a saucepan put water, sugar, honey and cinnamon stick and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leave to cool and add rosewater.
5. In a large saucepan, heat the oil.
6. In one hand, take some of the dough, and holding above the oil, close the palm slightly so that a ball of dough is squeezed out. Cut with a teaspoon so that it drops into the oil and fry until golden brown.
7. Remove cooked balls from the oil with a strainer and while still hot, dip into cold syrup.
8. Place loukoumathes on a platter and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.