Diples:
Diples is a Greek dessert where the main ingredient is thin dough. It is said that the doubles come from the Peloponnese. The dough is folded into various shapes, fried in hot oil and finally soaked in syrup. Traditionally, honey is used instead of syrup and the doubles are flavored with cinnamon and chopped walnuts are added. The doubles can have different shapes, but the most common are spirals, bows and flowers.
Ingredients for the dough:
- 5 eggs
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- Some water
- 400 ml sunflower oil for frying
Ingredients for the syrup:
- 800 g sugar
- 800 g of water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 50 g of honey
How to:
- Put the flour, eggs, olive oil, salt, sugar in the mixer and beat with the hook on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Remove and shape with your hands.
- Once we form the dough with our hands, add it again to the mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes. If the dough is too tight then optionally add a little water.
- Cut into 5 pieces, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Place a pan with the oil on a medium heat and let the oil heat well.
- Sprinkle counter with flour and put one piece of the dough. Roll the dough into a very thin sheet, cut into pieces and transfer to the hot oil. Fry for a minute till golden.
- Remove, on baking paper paper and continue with the rest.
- Syrup:
- Put the sugar, water, honey, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, melt the sugar.
- Remove from the heat and add the diples and leave for 5 seconds. Remove and serve with honey and walnuts.
Kourampiedes:
Kourabies is a typical sweet that is widespread throughout Greece, which is classified as a traditional sweet, such as melomakarono, and which is usually prepared at Christmas. Its name comes from the Persian Qurabiye, which means cookie, a pastry made of flour, butter, and powdered sugar. Refugees from Asia Minor from Karvali in Cappadocia created Nea Karvali in the Prefecture of Kavala in 1924 and carried the traditional recipe of kourabiedes from Asia Minor.
Ingredients:
- 500 g butter
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 1 kg flour, sifted
- 3 vanillins
- 250 g roasted almonds
- 1/2 shot of brandy
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
How to:
- Beat the butter with the sugar very well, about 10-15 minutes.
- Sift the flour together with the baking powder and add slowly. Add the vanilla.
- Then pour the brandy.
- Knead until it becomes a pliable dough.
- Add the almonds (roasted), either whole or coarsely chopped.
- We shape the kourampie cookies, in whatever shape we want. About 25g each.
- Place them in a pan with baking paper and bake, air at 180 degrees Celsius.
- After they cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Melomakarona:
Melomakarono is a Greek dessert made mainly from flour, semolina, oil, orange juice and honey. It is classified like kourabiedes in the traditional national sweets that are considered necessary in every Greek home, especially during the Christmas period. Typical ingredients of melomakarona are flour and semolina, sugar, zest or orange juice, brandy, cinnamon and other spices, oil, honey, and water.
Ingredients:
- 250g sunflower oil
- 50g olive oil
- 125g butter
- 290g sugar
- 200g orange juice
- 70gr brandy
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 2 tsp. baking
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1,520 g flour for all purposes
Syrup:
- 700gr honey
- 500g sugar
- 560gr water
How to:
- Mix the oil, butter, sugar, juice and brandy.
- Mix flour, baking powder, soda (sifted) and make a puddle and pour the liquid ingredients.
- Knead lightly.
- Shape the melomakarona
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about half an hour, on non-stick paper.
- Boil the syrup for 5 minutes.
- Glaze the melomakarona with the hot syrup.
- Serve with grated walnuts and clove powder.
These are the most popular Christmas sweets and three very easy recipes to fill the house with a Christmas scent!
Tell us if you liked the recipes and if you tried them!
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