Loukoumades: Greek Donuts To Amp Up Indulgence This Winter

Loukoumades, also known as lokmas or greek donuts, are deep-fried balls of dough spiced with cinnamon and served with oodles of honey. Best garnished with crushed pistachios these ping-pong sized sweet and sticky donuts are finger-lickn’ scrumptious. Just pick some, pop them in your mouth, and soak in the sweet deliciousness.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Caters To: 10 gobblers or 30 loukoumades

Challenge Level: Intermediate

From the Pantry:

Honey Syrup-

• 100 ml Greek honey
• 100 ml water
• 10 grams sugar
• ½ stick cinnamon
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

Loukoumades-

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 7 grams dry instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼  teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• ¼ cup lukewarm milk
• ½  teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook Away:

Honey Syrup-

1. In a saucepan, add Greek honey, water, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and orange zest
2. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Allow the mixture to gently simmer for 3-4 minutes, until reduced to a syrup consistency
3. Remove from heat and set aside

Loukoumades-

1. In a bowl, add all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt
2. Pour water, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well until it reaches a batter consistency
3. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to proof for 1 to 2 hours. The mixture should be soft, bubbly, and double in size
4. Once the batter is ready, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan
5. Transfer the batter to piping bag with a 2 centimeters tip
6. Pipe the batter into hot oil, cutting the batter using scissors to form ping-pong sized donuts
7. Cook the donuts for 5 minutes or until golden brown, flipping after 2-3 minutes to ensure even cooking
8. Remove excess oil using a paper towel
9. Pour a generous amount of the honey syrup while the loukoumades are piping hot
10. Garnish with pistachios and serve

Featured Image Courtesy: lazycatkitchen.com