Loukoumades

Makes 30 Desserts and puddings

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Method

Pour 100ml warm water into a bowl with the milk, if using. Alternatively, use 200ml warm water. Add the sugar and yeast, then whisk in the flour and salt to make a smooth batter. Leave, covered, in a warm place to rise for around 1 hour, until almost doubled and bubbling. The batter should be fairly
wet, but thick enough so that when squeezed in your hand a ball shape pops out from your thumb and forefinger, ready to be scooped off with a spoon.

Pour vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-based pan to come no more than two-thirds of the way up the sides. Set
it over a moderate heat until hot enough to deep-fry: plop a small amount of batter in and if it bubbles immediately it is hot enough.

While the oil is heating, have ready a wire rack topped with kitchen paper to drain the fried loukoumades, a spoon in a little cup of oil for shaping, and a strainer for transferring the doughnuts on to the paper. If you are right handed, you will have the bowl of batter to the left of the stove, as close as possible to the pan of oil. Your left hand will be in the batter, and right hand switching between shaping spoon and straining spoon, with the wire rack to the right of the stove.

Once the oil is ready, place your left hand in the batter and scoop the dough into your hand, bringing it up to the side of the bowl, squeezing a golf-ball shape out of your fist, between your thumb and forefinger. Using your right hand, take the spoon out of the oil cup and scoop the ball off your batter hand and gently into the hot oil. Return the spoon to its oil cup before you scoop the next batter ball.

Continue until the oil is full of loukoumades. Fry until golden brown, using your strainer spoon to turn them, then scoop on to the kitchen paper, and repeat with the next batch of batter.

Serve heaped on a plate, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with walnuts and cinnamon, alongside ice cream, if using.