Monday's Greek Recipe - Loukoumades

LOUKOUMADES - HONEY PUFFS

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kilo (1 lb 2 oz) flour

2 teaspoons yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

oil for frying

SYRUP

2 teacups honey

1 teacup sugar

stick of cinnamon

2 teacups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.

2. Put the flour and the salt in a bowl and gradually add the dissolved yeast mixing by hand.

3. Gradually add some lukewarm water until you have a paste that is neither too fluid nor too thick.

4. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it stand in warm water for about an hour.

5. When the batter doubles in size  and forms "bubbles", heat plenty of oil in a pot, until it is scalding hot.

6. Drop teaspoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and allow the loukoumades to turn golden brown.

7. Remove the loukoumades (honey puffs) from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto a plate.

8. In the meantime prepare the syrup : in a pot boil the honey, the sugar  , the water and the cinnamon stick for about 10 minutes.

9. Pour the syrup over the loukoumades  and sprinkle with cinnamon.

10. Serve hot!

The Best Traditional Recipes of Greek Cooking (Editions Haitalis)

Comments

[Alexia M]

yum!yum! i tried loukoumades the first time i visited greece a few years ago and really loved them! but i dont think i could ever be brave enough to make them myself!!

[Constantinos]

Now that's what I call the ultimate temptation!I think I'll get some on my way back home today. I like mine with extra honey and lots of cinnamon. Hugs

[Karolina]

Αμάν τι γλυκειά αμαρτία!!! Λατρεύω τους λουκουμάδες αλλά χλωμό το βλέπω να τους φτιάχνω... Φιλάκια και καλή εβδομάδα

[Anastasia]

I haven't tried to make them either mainly due to lack of time. But I might just as well give my grandma's recipe a try during the Easter break.

[Anastasia]

I know, hard to resist. In Cyprus some people use only syrup instead of honey but I definitely prefer them with honey and cinnamon - no extra helpings though!

[Anastasia]

Νάσαι καλά, Καρολίνα μου. Καλή εβδομάδα και σε σένα.

[sophia-a-sophia.blogspot.com]

I know that homemade loukoumade are the best but whenever I tried to make them they are fail.My paste is either too thick or too fluid or they dont become crispy enough. I usually buy the batter in package and just cook them - that always works and they are very tasty

[summer]

wow! that looks so yummylicious! now im hungry lol.

thanks for sharing the recipe ms anastasia. im not sure it would look just like that in the pic if im the one to try cooking that lol so i will just give that to my dad lol. he is the one who has the passion in cooking. :)

[lakisioannoui.blogspot.com]

As I don't like honey very much I prefer them with syrup. They are great and I can eat a dozen..at least! There is a small cafe near my cottage in the mountains run by locals who make the best loukoumades in Cyprus. I know Larnaca is the queen of loukoumades but over there, they are really super - just like homemade ones. I'll email you the address and the phone number.

[christina-1977.livejournal.com]

My God, Anastasia, these loukoumades in the photo look like begging you to eat them! I don't make them at home because it's a bit fussy and once or twice that I tried to make them they were not a great success. But in Greece you can find them everywhere - there are some really good shops you can get them from. So when I have a craving for loukoumades, I just buy them hot crispy.

[Laura]

They look like a kind of doughnuts to me. I bet they must be delicious. Thanks for sharing your grandma's recipe, Anastasia.

[Anastasia]

That's what I do as well, Sophia. I like Yiotis Batter - you're right , it always works and you can have 2 dozens before you say Jack Robinson! But nothing equals homemade loukoumades! Ah well...I still miss my grandma making them for the whole family. She'd made dozens of them in a couple of hours.

[Anastasia]

It's always a pleasure to see you here dear Summer. Yes, they are delicious, I love them but I often try to resist the temptation. Too many calories!!! Not always easy. I'll have to try grandma's recipe myself and see what happens! But I guess , for an experienced cook like your dad it won't be that hard to make.

[Anastasia]

Thanks for the email. I've never heard of that cafe before, but next time we head for Platres we'll certainly stop there for a coffee and loukoumades!

[Anastasia]

You are right , Christina. In Cyprus it's the same thing, especially in Larnaca - the Queen of Loukoumades as Lakis says. We find them everywhere, so why bother to make them?

[Anastasia]

Yes,they are, Laura! They are pretty much like a doughnut but ...a very special one!

[Andy]

Cuisine is both an art and a science: it is an art when it strives to bring about the realization of the true and the beautiful, called le bon (the good) in the order of culinary ideas. As a science, it respects chemistry, physics and natural history. Its axioms are called aphorisms, its theorems recipes, and its philosophy gastronomy.

[Anastasia]

Oh Andy! I love that. So very inspiring for my future ...culinary advetures.As for the chemistry and physics bit....forget it! I've always been wreckless at chemistry and physics. But I love the creative part.

[Haruko]

These Greek honey puffs look so yummy. I will bookmark the recipe and try to do them. Can we serve them with ice cream too?

[stefanie-cy.blogspot.com]

Sophia, the secret for the loukoumades to be crispy is the oil. You need plenty of oil and it must be very hot. As for the dough sometimes the quality of the yeast plays a role and the time you let it stand.