Diples Recipes

Steps:

• 1. First, start out by preparing your syrup. Add all ingredients and cook over medium to high heat for 10 minutes or so. You want this to have a syrup like thickness for rolling your Diples in.
• 2. Next is your eggs. Mix together the 12 yolks and 6 egg whites. Finish adding the rest of your ingredients till you get to the flour. Add 4 cups of flour and mix well. Now, depending on feel you will continue to add flour until nice and firm. (You may use all 7 cups and you may not).
• 3. ~~At this point, put your oil on the stove over a low heat so that it will get nice and hot. Knead dough on floured board until smooth. Form dough into balls. Cover for 1 hour. Roll dough paper thin and cut in 4X6 inch strips. [If working by yourself, after rolling out the individual dough into paper thin strips put it on a lightly floured saran wrap. and cover with a towel so they do not dry out.] Or you can use a pasta machine to make your strips.
• 4. Fry in hot oil. With 2 forks place one piece of dough into the oil and immediately flip the dough once and begin to roll up quickly while still in the oil. [It should look bubbly and start to be getting crispy.] Drain on paper towels. Dip in hot syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon and ground nuts.
• 5. Info about Ouzo: The classic Greek drink Ouzo is made from a precise combination of pressed grapes and herbs and berries including aniseed, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel and hazelnut. Ouzo is usually served as an aperitif, but is also used in some mixed drinks and cocktails. When mixing Ouzo with water it will turn whitish and opaque. The reason is that the anise oil dissolves and becomes invisible when mixed with a conventional alcohol content, but as soon as the alcohol content is reduced, the essential oils transform into white crystals, which you cannot see through.

Steps:

• To make the syrup, combine the honey and the water and heat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and whole egg on high speed until the eggs are thick and smooth and the color is light yellow, about 4 -5 minutes.
• Combine the melted butter, orange juice, and brandy. With the mixer running, add to the egg mixture until incorporated.
• Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
• If you have a dough hook for your mixer, you can attach it and knead the dough with the machine. If not, turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand. Continue kneading the dough until it has a smooth and elastic texture, about 5 - 8 minutes.
• Separate the dough into four pieces, and let it rest, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, roll out each section into rectangles. The dough should be very thin, about 1/16th of an inch thick (the thickness of a piece of cardboard).
• Using a knife or rolling cutter, cut the dough into sheets that are about 5 inches wide and about 10 inches long. Lay the cut pieces on a tray separated by wax paper sheets to prevent them from sticking together.
• To fry, you will need a pan with a wide bottom and a depth of about 4 - 5 inches. The oil will need to about 3 inches deep.
• The Diples cook quickly so be sure to have your ingredients, tools and dough strips in place.
• Heat the oil or vegetable shortening until shimmering but not smoking hot. If the oil is too hot the diples will cook too quickly, making it difficult to roll them.
• Place a strip of dough in the hot oil. Using two large cooking forks, hold the end furthest away from you and roll the sheet away from you. You can pierce the sheet with the fork or simply place the edge between the tines of the fork.
• Hold the roll in the oil until both sides are a light golden color.
• Drain and remove the rolls to a tray layered with paper towels and stand them on their ends to prevent them from becoming mushy.
• Place the diples on a serving platter and drizzle with the syrup. Sprinkle with ground walnuts and ground cinnamon.
• To keep the diples crisp, do not add the syrup until just before you are ready to serve.