Cretan Loukoumia with orange syrup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g wheat flour type 1050
• 10 g dry yeast
• 1 tsp, leveled cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp, leveled mastic (light yellow resin of the mastic pistachio tree, see note)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 60 g white sugar
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g white sugar
• 80 g orange juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp honey, light yellow
• 1 liter of frying oil, fresh
• n. B. Flour for the work surface
• n. B. Sesame, white
• n. B. Walnuts, chopped
• n. B. Pine nuts, lightly roasted

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Spicy, fried yeast dough pieces with orange syrup, sesame, walnuts and pine nuts.

Mix the dry yeast with 1 tablespoon of the flour and half of the orange juice and let it rise for 10 minutes. Grind the mastic pieces (tears) into flour or grind them in a mortar and pestle. Knead all the dough ingredients with the yeast starter into a light, smooth dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the syrup, except the honey, in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat, let it cool, and mix in the honey. Set the finished syrup aside. Roast the pine nuts in a pan without oil until light yellow to light brown. Knead the dough, divide it in half, and roll each half out into a roughly 2.5 cm log. Cut the logs diagonally into roughly 4 cm long pieces. Let the pieces rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Heat the frying oil to 180°C and fry the raw loukoumia in batches (maximum 8) until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Place the loukoumia on a serving plate, drizzle with the syrup, sprinkle with sesame seeds, walnuts, and pine nuts, and serve warm. Note: Mastic is available in Greek and sometimes Turkish grocery stores, or online.