Recipe for Loukoumades, a sweet treat traditionally made for Epiphany.
Loukoumades are a traditional Greek sweet, similar to a donut. This is a very ancient Greek pastry, some authors suggest the treat may be the original European pastry. Loukoumades consist of a puffy, sweet dough that is deep fried, then coated with a sweet syrup and sometimes rolled in cinnamon or sesame seeds.
Greek housewives traditionally made Loukoumades on Epiphany, January 6 to ward off evil spirits. To prevent the evil spirits from bothering the family, the women would toss the Loukoumades onto the roof of the house to appease them and make them go back into the ground where they came from.
Today Loukoumades are made as a treat for the children and can be enjoyed year around; but, if you want to be traditional make them on Epiphany and throw a few onto the roof for good measure!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix the yeast with the water, sugar, salt and oil, then add the flour. This should resemble pancake batter. Turn this out into a greased mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- While batter is rising, prepare the syrup mixture: Mix together 3 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Boil this mixture for 15 minutes, then allow to cool while dough is cooking.
- To cook: drop the mixture from a teaspoon into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from hot grease, and immediately dip into the prepared syrup.
- Serve piping hot and sticky! What a yummy treat!
