Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
It is said that Loukoumádes are the first written ancient recipe in Europe and belongs to Greeks.
Ancient Greeks called them honey tokens. They had a round sharp shape like a disk and they offered them as a prize to the winners on the Olympic Games along with Kótinos, the olive tree wreath.
It is believed that this custom was established in honor of a humble baker who won the Olympic game of running around 776 B.C. and it was first recorded by the poet Callimachus. From then on loukoumades stayed as a dessert not only in Greece, but also in several other countries all over the world. There are different shapes and recipes and they have different names depending on the country that are found.
Basically, they are simple dough balls made with flour, dry yeast, water and starch, served warm with honey and cinnamon or syrup and cinnamon. Very easy to make and very popular among children of all ages.
Nowadays, they are served along with a cup of coffee, tea or chocolate in coffee shops or after a meal in tavernas. They are made also at homes for children to enjoy. I love loukoumades and I always love to end a good meal, having them as a dessert if I have such a choice. I’ve wanted for a long time to make them at home and my son was asking for them now and then.
So, last weekend I thought that the time had come and I found a recipe on the net that looked trustworthy enough to try, plus a fellow blogger friend Ola from Poland has asked me to send her a recipe for loukoumades. Her husband tried them in a recent trip to Greece and she wanted to recreate them at home. I had, then, two perfectly reasonable incentives to try and make them at home. They are very easy to make and so tasty. I didn’t make a syrup; I drizzled them with pure honey and cinnamon. They were to die for and so addictive you couldn’t stop to just one. In fact, I couldn’t stop to even one bowl full of them. I had to refill and I only stopped because I thought of the kilos that would settle in my thighs. This is their only disadvantage!
- 200 gr. / 7 oz. all-purpose flour
- 50 gr. / 1.7 oz corn starch
- 1 envelope dry yeast about 9 gr. / 1 ½ tsp
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 280 gr. / 10 oz. lukewarm water
- Corn or vegetable oil for frying and a little bit for wetting the teaspoon
- In a glass bowl throw all the ingredients and whisk until they are all incorporated.
- Put aside for half an hour and let it rest in a warm place.
- In a deep pot pour vegetable oil and bring to 170° C / 340° F.
- Take a small bowl and add a small quantity of corn oil not from the pot, at room temperature.
- Dive the teaspoon to the small bowl of corn oil before taking a spoonful and pouring it in the pot of the hot oil.
- With this teaspoon start pouring spoonfuls of the batter in the pot making little balls.
- Let them fry for one minute and remove.
- Pour honey and cinnamon and eat them warm.
- 200 γρ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- 50 γρ. κορν φλάουρ
- 1 φάκελο ξηρή μαγιά
- 1 πρέζα αλάτι
- 1 κ.σ. μέλι
- 280 γρ. νερό χλιαρό
- Σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ ρίξτε όλα τα συστατικά και ανακατέψτε μέχρι να ενσωματωθούν
- Βάλτε στην άκρη για μισή ώρα και αφήστε το να ξεκουραστεί σε ζεστό μέρος.
- Σε μια βαθιά κατσαρόλα ρίξτε το σπορέλαιο σε ψηλή θερμοκρασία να φτάσει τους 170° C.
- Σε ένα μπολάκι βάλτε λίγο σπορέλαιο.
- Πάρτε ένα κουταλάκι του γλυκού βάλτε το σπορέλαιο και πάρτε με αυτό λίγη από τη ζύμη των λουκουμάδων και ρίξτετη στην κατσαρόλα με το καυτό λάδι.
- Μ’αυτό τον τρόπο δημιουργούνται μικρά μπαλάκια.
- Κάθε λίγο βουτάτε το κουταλάκι στο μπολάκι με το σπορέλαιο για να γλυστράει η ζύμη.
- Αφήστε να τηγανιστούν για ένα λεπτό και βγάλτε τους με μία τρυπητή κουτάλα.
- Ρίξτε το μέλι και την καννέλα και φάτε τους ζεστούς.
