Syrup Soaked Pastries With Hazelnuts Pistachios And Pine Nuts Recipes

SYRUP-SOAKED PASTRIES WITH HAZELNUTS, PISTACHIOS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the eggs, and 1 tablespoon water and knead on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, 4 to 6 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and 3⁄4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep warm.
• Heat the oven to 350°. Unwrap the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Using a pasta machine or working on a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of dough until 1⁄16 inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 1-inch-wide, 12-inch-long ribbons.
• In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 cups oil over medium until an instant-read thermometer reads 330°. Attach the end of 1 dough ribbon to the tines of a fork in one hand and hold the other end of the ribbon in your other hand. Place the tines of the fork in the oil, keeping them against the bottom of the skillet, as if stabbing it, and slowly turn the fork clockwise, wrapping the dough around it as it fries and puffs. When you reach the end of the dough ribbon, let it fall over the spiral against the tines of the fork. Carefully remove the fork and continue frying the dough spiral, flipping once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the pastry to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining pastries, steadily maintaining the temperature of the oil.
• When all the pastries are fried, toss each one in the bowl of warm syrup and arrange on a large serving platter. Sprinkle the pastries with the chopped nuts, drizzle with the remaining syrup, and serve while hot.

KOEKSISTERS (SOUTH AFRICAN SYRUP-SOAKED FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Prepare syrup the day before making the koeksisters and chill thoroughly.
• Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat.
• Add spices and knob of ginger.
• Boil together for 10 minutes.
• Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
• Rub in butter finely, add beaten eggs with enough milk to blend into a stiff dough.
• Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Roll out to 5 mm (1/4 inch?) thick and cut into strips approximately 70 x 30 mm (3 x 1 inches).
• With a sharp knife, cut each strip into 3 smaller ones, leaving them attached at one end.
• Plait (braid) loosely and pinch ends to secure.
• Drop a few at a time into hot oil.
• Cook until lightly-browned and puffed.
• Lift out and drain for just 1 minute of crumpled paper towels, then drop at once into chilled syrup.
• Soak in syrup, lift out and drain in a sieve until dry.
• Note: I'm sure my cousin got a larger yield than this, she made hers very small and dainty.
• You can make them the size that suits your needs and aesthetics.
• I like them small and dainty, but that's the only way I've ever had them.

TURKISH PASTRIES WITH NUTS AND SYRUP (BACLAVA)

Steps:

• Brush a 9 x 12 inch dish with melted butter.
• Fold a sheet of phyllo in half and carefully lay in the pan.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Repeat until there are 6 layers of phyllo.
• Sprinkle 1/3 of the nuts on the last layer.
• Add 6 more phyllo leaves, brushing each one with melted butter.
• Add 1/3 more nuts.
• Repeat this procedure until all ingredients are used ending with a pastry layer.
• Brush the top layer with butter and cut into diamond shapes 2 inches wide.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 300°F and continue baking for 30 minutes longer.
• FOR THE SYRUP: Add the sugar to the water.
• Add lemon juice and boil the syrup for 5 minutes.
• Pour over the warm pastry and let cool before serving.
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SEMOLINA CAKE SOAKED WITH LEMON SYRUP (REVANI)

Steps:

• Butter and coat with fine dry breadcrumbs a 9 x 9 inch Pyrex pan.
• Set oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350°.
• Whisk eggs and ½ cup sugar by hand in the bowl of an electric mixer.
• Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whip the mixture on high speed until pale and thickened, about 4 minutes.
• While the eggs are whipping, stir the semolina and remaining ½ cup sugar together in a medium mixing bowl; stir in the sour cream.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the brandy in a small cup and stir into the semolina mixture; add in the orange zest and butter, stir to combine.
• When the egg mixture is ready, fold it into the semolina batter with a large rubber spatula.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top.
• Bake cake for about 30 minutes, or until it is well risen and deep golden and a pick comes out clean.
• Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes.
• While the cake is cookng, prepare the syrup: stir together all the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat; let the syrup boil gently for 5 minutes.
• While the syrup is cooling, score the cake into 2 inch diamonds or rectangles with the point of a sharp knife, cutting about 1 inch into the cake.
• After the syrup is cooked, remove the lemon half from the syrup and slowly pour the syrup all over the top of the cake so that it is evenly absorbed.
• Cool completely.
• Serve: cut through the scoring marks completely with a sharp knife; use a flexible spatula to first loosen each piece of cake, then remove it from the pan.
• Only the first piece is difficult and may break slightly, the rest should come out easily.
• Storage: keep the cake pan covered with plastic wrap at a cool room temperature.