Loukoumades
Greek Honey Puffs (Loukoumades)- Yield
- About 40 puffs (4 to 6 servings)
- Active
- 40 minutes
- Total
- About 1 1/2 hours, including rising
- Difficulty
- Medium
The story
Loukoumades are small balls of soft yeast batter, squeezed through the fist, dropped into hot oil and then soaked in honey or honey syrup and finished with cinnamon or sesame. Greek writers trace them either to the Ottoman lokma or to honey sweets of ancient Greece, and in Athens they are now sold in dedicated shops with fillings from chocolate to feta.
Loukoumades belong to feast days. They are a fixture of the summer panigyria held in village squares and church courtyards, and in Cyprus housewives still fry them on the eve of Epiphany and throw some onto their roofs for the kalikantzaroi, the creatures of winter folklore.
Fry them while the main course plates are cleared, and bring the warm puffs to the table with the syrup.
Ingredients and method
The full recipe, with US and metric measures and stand-ins for hard-to-find ingredients, is part of the Valentine's Day edition. Buy it once and keep the PDF.
Want to try first? Baci di Dama is free to cook.