Diples

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 4eggs
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbsporange juice
• 1 tbspbrandy
• ½ tspsalt
• 1 tspbaking powder

Syrup

• 500 ghoney
• 200 mlwater
• 1strip lemon peel
• 1cinnamon stick

To finish

• 1 litreoil, for frying
• 200 gwalnuts, chopped
• ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Beat the eggs well, then work in the flour, olive oil, orange juice, brandy, salt and baking powder to make a firm smooth dough.
2. Knead for 15 minutes, then rest it, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Roll the dough out paper-thin, ideally through a pasta machine on its thinnest setting.
4. Thin is the whole word here. Diples means folded, and a sheet you cannot fold without it cracking has not been rolled thin enough.
5. Cut into strips about 8 cm wide and 20 cm long.
6. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F).
7. Lower one end of a strip into the oil and, as it stiffens, use two forks to fold it over on itself or roll it up, working quickly in the pan.
8. It sets within a few seconds, so the folding has to happen in the oil itself. Folded beforehand it simply fries as a flat folded piece and never opens into layers.
9. Fry for 30 to 40 seconds until pale gold. They should not brown.
10. Drain them on a rack rather than on paper, which would soften the undersides before they ever reach the honey.
11. Warm the honey with the water, lemon peel and cinnamon stick into a loose syrup.
12. Dip each diple into the warm honey for a few seconds, then lift it out and let it drain.
13. Pile them onto a platter, scattering chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon between the layers as you go.
14. They are a Peloponnesian wedding and Christmas sweet, and at a wedding they are made by the hundred.

Technique

• Work with one strip at a time and keep the rest covered, because the sheets dry and crack within minutes.
• Pale gold, not brown. Colour means the dough has dried out and it will taste of oil rather than honey.
• They soften over a day or two, which many people prefer. Eat them crisp on the first day if you want the contrast.

Substitutions

• Sugar syrup with honey stirred in, which is cheaper for a very large batch.
• Ouzo or tsipouro in place of brandy.

Variations

• Rolled into loose cylinders rather than folded.
• With sesame seeds instead of walnuts.
• Cut with a fluted wheel for a decorative edge.

History

A Peloponnesian wedding and Christmas sweet; the dough is rolled paper-thin and folded, which is what diples means.

Frequently asked questions

What is Diples?

Diples is a dessert from Greece: thin dough ribbons fried, folded and drenched in honey and walnuts. A Peloponnesian wedding and Christmas sweet; the dough is rolled paper-thin and folded, which is what diples means.

How long does Diples take to make?

Diples takes 45 min plus 1 hr resting of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 40 pastries. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Diples?

Yes, within limits. Sugar syrup with honey stirred in, which is cheaper for a very large batch. Ouzo or tsipouro in place of brandy.

What is the most important thing to get right in Diples?

Thin is the whole word here. Diples means folded, and a sheet you cannot fold without it cracking has not been rolled thin enough.