They’re hot, fluffy and crisp, usually drizzled with honey and cinnamon or chopped walnuts, while in a more modern rendition they’re dipped in luscious melty chocolate. That’s right we are talking about Loukoumades!
The ping pong-ball size mouthfuls are a favourite indulgent dessert among children and adults alike, food for the soul and as sticky as they are satisfying.
Loukoumades (Λουκουμάδες), the Greek rendition of a donut, are designed to fry you to the moon. The spherical fried donuts go back a long way, in fact all the way back to the start of the Olympic Games in 776 B.C. when victorious athletes were offered these doughy delights with a generous slathering of honey after their feats.
In celebration of National Doughnut Day, here is our homemade Loukoumades recipe for you to try:
Ingredients
- 450g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 15g dried yeast
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Olive oil for frying
Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
How to make Loukoumades
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add salt, and mix the dried yeast into the flour.
- Using the lukewarm water, slowly add to the flour, mixing with an electric mixer until all the water has been added and the mixture is smooth.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- To deep fry the ‘puffs’, you can use a deep-fryer or a deep pan. Fill with olive oil and heat.
- Take a teaspoon, dipping it in water first to prevent the mixture sticking, then take a teaspoon of mixture and drop it in the hot oil. Continue until all the batter has been made
- The loukoumades will puff up and rise to the top of the oil very quickly. Turn them over and as they turn golden, take them out with a slotted spoon and place on some paper.
- To make the syrup, add all the ingredients into a small saucepan, bringing to the boil and simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Keep warm.
- Pour the syrup over the loukoumades and serve warm. Drizzle with extra honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Alternatively, you can drizzle the loukoumades with melted chocolate.