Serves a Crowd

Nutty pastries with cinnamon and fennel seeds

by:
July 30, 2014
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  • Serves 15
Author Notes

Adapted from the “Cookbook of the Jews of Greece”, the recipe for this zesty treat originates from the Romaniote community of Ioannina in Northern Greece. The name that its makers have chosen for those nutty pastries is unpronounceable even for a Greek, but the taste is amazing. Being quite filling, I think they’re better for breakfast or for the afternoon tea, rather than served as a dessert after lunch. —Evangelia

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Ingredients
  • 8 tablespoons walnut and almonds, ground
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons raisins, finely chopped, and black currants
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoons cinnamon and ground cloves
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • Pinch of salt
Directions
  1. Mix the flour, sugar, soda, and a pinch of salt together.
  2. Beat together the egg, olive oil and water.
  3. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the liquid. If it seems too thick to handle, add a little water.
  4. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 250-300°.
  6. Divide the dough into balls that you can roll out easily.
  7. Roll out to about 1/8 –inch thickness.
  8. Cut into strips about 2 1/2×8 inches.
  9. Lay some filling along the length, in the center of the strip.
  10. Dampen one edge of the dough with a wet finger, turn it over the filling to meet the other edge, and crimp the edges well together, making a spine.
  11. Take the ends of the rolls and bring them around to join, making a circle and crimp them together well.
  12. Arrange on an oiled baking sheet. The spine should be on top, making an attractive ridge, but if you feel that might burst, pale it down on the sheet.
  13. Brush well with beaten egg white and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes- 1 hour.

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