CRISPY AND DELICIOUS PASTRIES (DIPLES)

It’s a traditional Messinian product, whose fame has transcended the confines of Kalamata and has become known throughout Greece. Diples are inherent with the most intense moments of our lives. Offered mainly to engagements, weddings, christenings and other social events. They are there to sweeten our past, to accompany the present and the hopeful future.
According to the local custom is it said that as many folds they have so much more joys they tie.

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
thin zest of 1 orange
the juice from the peeled orange
½ tea cup of Mastic Liqueur
1 tsp. baking powder
600 gr all-purpose flour
olive oil for frying
Niseste(Corn flour) for opening the dough
Crushed walnuts for sprinkling
Grated cinnamon for sprinkling
FOR THE SYRUP:
2 tea cups of honey
2 tea cups of sugar
2 tea cups of water
2 vanilla


If your get any leftover syrup, that you will a bit store it in a bowl in the refrigerator for loukoumades(donuts) or as a supplement for melomakarona.


PREPARATION:

In a big bowl add the eggs, liqueur, orange zest and juice, baking powder and begin mixing together...

...while slowly adding the flour

until you get a thick dough ( shouldn’t be too soft) so you can spread the dough in phyllo sheets later on.
Cover it and let it rest for half an hour.

Afterwards if you have a pasta machine, open your phyllo sheets with it otherwise divide the dough in small balls and with the help of Niseste(corn flour) open the dough in thin phyllo sheets. 

With the help of the toothed tool cut the phyllo sheets in smaller sheets which you’ll shape in different shapes such as bows, handkerchief

or shape them with the help of a fork while they fry.

It’s better if two people can be present at the time of the preparation to make it easier, because I had trouble to prepare them and take photos at the same time.

Add olive oil to a pot and once it’s hot add two Diples and turn them so they get a golden color all around 

and remove them to paper towels to absorb the extra oil. Watch the frying process as they cooked really quickly.

In another pot add the ingredients for the syrup, mix and let them boil together. 

In the boiling process you’ll see it foam, remove it with a spoon, once it begins to boil let it 10 more minutes to thicken. 

Remove the syrup from the flame and as it’s hot add cooled Diples in it and let them absorb some syrup. Then with a skimmer remove them to a pan.

We sprinkle them with cinnamon, the crushed walnuts and place them on a plate.

Good luck!