Ingredients
Serves 10+ (Makes 30)1 tsp dried yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups of plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cup cold water
Olive oil, for deep-frying
Honey, to serve
Ground cinnamon, to garnish
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Method
Loukoumades are Greek-style doughnuts. Loukoumades or “honey tokens” as they were called in Ancient Greece, were offered to the victorious athletes as a prize in a highly ritualized ceremony along with the wreath. “Honey tokens” were essentially fried balls of dough covered in honey.
They are fun to make, they are ideal for Sunday breakfast or as an after-dinner dessert. In the wintertime you can substitute chopped toasted chestnuts for the walnuts. This is my family’s recipe.
Place the yeast in the warm water.
Place the flour and salt in a bowl and stir in the yeast. Add 1 cup of cold water and mix until you have a smooth thin paste. (You may need an additional ¼ cup of cold water) Cover and set aside for up to 1 hour until it rises and forms bubbles under the surface.
Pour olive oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 4–5 centimetres and heat. Using a tablespoon, drop in large dollops of the mixture, one spoonful at a time. The mixture will form round dumplings. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, then remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Whilst still hot, pour some honey over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts.
This recipe is from Maria's book, My Greek Family Table, Penguin Australia, RRP: $59.95