Greek Honey Puffs with Cinnamon and Walnuts

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A loose, yeasted batter — closer to thick pancake batter than dough — is scooped with two spoons straight into hot oil, where it puffs into crisp-shelled, hollow-hearted spheres. They go into a warm honey syrup while still sizzling, then get showered with cinnamon and toasted walnuts. Ten minutes of work spread around a lazy hour of rising, and you get the same craggy, syrup-slicked puffs that sell for ten dollars a plate at Greek tavernas.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup honey, preferably Greek thyme honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 6 cups neutral oil for frying, such as canola or sunflower
• 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt (optional)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, instant yeast, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the 1 1/2 cups warm water and the olive oil, then whisk hard for about 1 minute until completely smooth. The batter should be very loose — thicker than crepe batter, thinner than a drop-biscuit dough, and it should slowly fall off a spoon in a ribbon. If it holds a stiff peak, whisk in another 2 tablespoons water.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at warm room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the surface is domed, visibly bubbly, and the batter has roughly doubled. Do not stir it down.
3. While the batter rises, make the syrup: combine the honey, 1/2 cup water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, remove from the heat, and keep the syrup warm on the lowest burner setting. Fish out the peel and cinnamon stick before serving.
4. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool, then toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon. Keep the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon separate for dusting.
5. Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of about 2 1/2 inches and heat over medium to 340°F on a thermometer. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby, and fill a small bowl with water for your spoons.
6. Take two dinner spoons and dip them in the water. Scoop up a rounded spoonful of batter with one spoon and use the second to nudge it off into the oil, dipping the spoons back in the water between each puff so the batter releases cleanly. Add 8 to 10 puffs per batch — they should have room to bob and turn.
7. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes total, nudging the puffs with a slotted spoon so they roll and color evenly, until deep golden brown and firm all over. They will look done at 2 minutes; keep going, or the centers will stay raw. Check the first one by tearing it open — the inside should be steamy and web-like, not pasty.
8. Lift the puffs to the rack for 15 seconds to shed oil, then transfer them directly into the bowl of warm syrup while they are still hissing. Toss for 20 to 30 seconds so they drink up syrup without going soggy, then lift them into a serving bowl. Bring the oil back to 340°F between batches and repeat with the remaining batter.
9. Pile the syrup-soaked puffs in a shallow bowl, spoon over a few tablespoons of the remaining warm syrup, and scatter with the cinnamon walnuts, a dusting of the reserved ground cinnamon, sesame seeds if using, and a tiny pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately, while the shells still crackle.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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