’Assel Ddwaz Datay
Fried Honey Cakes
While yeast doughs are usually prepared for sweets such as these delicious honey cakes, here eggs and baking powder are used to give the desired lightness without the need for lengthy kneading of the dough.
SERVES 4–6
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
60 g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
300 g (10½ oz/2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
about 4 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour, extra
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
SYRUP
2 tablespoons lemon juice
275 g (10 oz/1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
115 g (4 oz/1/3 cup) honey
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Whisk the eggs, orange juice and oil together in a large bowl. Add the orange zest and caster sugar and whisk until frothy. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon until it is smooth, but still a little sticky.
To make the syrup, put 310 ml (10¾ fl oz/1¼ cups) cold water, the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the honey and orange zest and then simmer for another 5 minutes. Keep warm.
Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Work in just enough extra flour to give a dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. Roll out to a thickness of 5 mm (¼ in). It will be very elastic, so keep rolling and resting it until it stops shrinking. Using a 5 cm (2 in) biscuit cutter, cut out round cakes.
Heat the oil in a large deep-sided frying pan to 170°C (325°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 20 seconds. Fry the cakes three or four at a time for 1 minute on each side, or until puffed and golden. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towel.
Using tongs, dip each cake into the warm honey syrup, long enough for it to soak in. Transfer to a platter. Serve warm or cold.
