Cretan nut rings "Armonia"

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 140 g wheat flour type 1050
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 40 g sugar
• 3 tbsp orange syrup
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp, leveled baking powder
• Flour for the work surface
• margarine
• 100 g orange juice
• 60 g sugar
• 3 cm cinnamon stick(s)
• 2 cloves
• 50 g feta cheese
• 100 g quark
• 3 tbsp honey, light
• 1 egg(s), size M
• 20 g tapioca flour
• 100 g walnuts, coarsely grated
• 60 g almond flakes
• n. B. Orange syrup
• e.g. sesame, white
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

Sweet rings filled with walnuts and misithra cheese. Recipe from southern Crete.

This recipe yields approximately 20 dough balls. Misithra cream cheese, which isn’t readily available, can be made at home using a blend of feta cheese and quark, which are blended until smooth. A hand-operated pasta machine can make the process much easier. Combine all the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and cloves, and set aside the syrup. Combine all the dough ingredients and knead into a smooth dough. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 1 hour. Grease a sufficiently large baking tray or line it with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat). Crack the egg, separating the yolk and egg white. Combine 1 tablespoon of the egg white with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt to create a gluten mixture. Use the remaining egg white for something else. Combine the misithra with the egg yolk, honey, and tapioca flour until smooth. Keep the finished filling in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the dough strips. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion out on a floured surface into a sheet approximately 40 cm long and 2 mm thick. Cut the sheets lengthwise into strips approximately 2.5 cm wide. Knead the scraps together and also cut them into strips. Spread the misithra on top, reserving a space approximately 3 cm wide at the top for the glue. Sprinkle the flaked almonds and the desiccated walnuts over the misithra. Roll the strips from bottom to top. Brush the top end with a little glue and finish the rings. Dip the bottom part of the ring in a little flour and then place the rings flat on the baking sheet. A thin spatula is very helpful here. Finally, garnish the rings with half a walnut. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown. Drizzle with a little orange syrup and sprinkle with white sesame seeds. Arrange on a serving platter, garnish and serve warm.