Diples(Sweet Dough Sheets in Syrup)

I love diples, even more than melomakarona. It is something in these sweet sheets that really leads my hand towards them. As I am writing these words now, I make a brake to eat one of those beauties. They are irresistible. But just like any other irresistible things in life is hard to get. It looks easy to make but it needs certain things. First the dough leaf must be thin, second you must act real fast so as for the dough not to dry and third the whole place smells pretty intensely after frying them.

Every year I say to myself that I will not bother making them and I would buy them from a pastry shop. And every year I keep going back and make them again and again.

That’s what you do with everything tough and irresistible in life, like men for example. You promise to yourself that you won’t spare another moment of your life thinking of them and yet after a while you catch yourself going back and making dreams and thoughts. Why is it that we always go after the hard to get? I guess it is because by nature we love challenge. Human nature, what can I say.

Anyway, this recipe for diples is a combination of recipes I found through the years. I took elements from different sources, combined them and made my own recipe for this Greek sweet. If you ever try them, I am sure you will love them. So simple in perception and yet so tasty.

We put the eggs, orange juice, brandy, caster sugar and zest in a bowl and mix. Add the flour and knead well, until it forms a dough like the one we have when we make bread. Divide the dough in small balls and with the rolling pin open the dough to rectangular sheets very thin, just like as if you opened a phyllo sheet. Cut them in smaller quadrate pieces about 10cmX10cm.

In a deep pot add vegetable oil in medium-high heat and begin to fry them until golden only couple to three per batch. They only require about half to one minute. Now, a little trick to make your lives easier. If you have a pasta machine then they can be made in no time. Just use the machine the same way you do for pasta. When the sheets are ready, cut with the knife in pieces as above.

In high heat place put the water and sugar in a pot. Let them boil for five minutes lower heat to medium high and then add the honey. Let boil for 1 minute and then lower heat to low. When the diples are ready throw them one by one or two by two in the syrup.

Let them boil for a minute and remove them. Place them in a big plate and garnish with cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

I received two awards this week The Stylish Blogger Award from Soumya at Soumya’s Kitchen and the One Lovely Blog Award from Sweet Artichoke. Thank you both for giving me these two beautiful awards. I appreciate it so much. I would like to pass these beautiful awards to each and every one of you who follow this blog.