Recipes from Greece :: Greek Pastries and Desserts
Pin. of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 lbs. flour
2 sticks (1 c.) sweet, unsalted butter
1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. sugar
2 c. Wesson oil
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Flour (about 1 lb. more)
Filling
2 c. chopped nuts
1 lb. chopped dates
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. honey
Syrup
3 c. sugar
4 c. water
1 slice lemon (1/2 lemon)
1 cinnamon stick
2 c. honey
Add pin. of salt and 1 tsp. baking powder to 2 lbs. of flour.
Beat 2 sticks sweet (unsalted) butter and 1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. sugar well. Add 2 c. of Wesson oil slowly, beating well. Add 1 egg and beat. Add 1 tsp. baking soda to 1 1/2 (one and one-half) c. orange juice and add quickly to mixture. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Add flour to mixture until dough is soft but not sticky. You will use about another pound of flour, (about 3 lbs. of flour in all).
Prepare filling. Combine 2 c. chopped nuts, 1 lb. chopped dates, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. honey. Take 1 Tbsp. dough and put about 1/2 tsp. filling in center and then fold dough over to seal in filling. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit until brown.
Prepare syrup. Boil 3 c. sugar and 4 c. of water with one slice lemon (1/2 lemon), 1 cinnamon stick until syrupy, about 15 mins. Add 2 c. honey. Dip cold cookies in warm syrup or dip warm cookies in cold syrup. Dip each cookie into honey and then into ground nuts mixed with cinnamon.
Yields about 100 cookies.
