Xerotigana

Option 1

Ingredients 1 kg flour for all uses 1 egg 1/3 water glass milk 1/8 water glass tsikoudia 1 glass of water oil (for frying) cinnamon The syrup: 2 tbsp. honey 1 water glass sugar 1 glass of water

Preparation

Put the flour in a big bowl, add some water, the egg, milk and tsikoudia and knead until the dough becomes hard. Let it rise for 1-2 hours. Then roll out a very thin pastry sheet, cut it in stripes (2-4 cm), fold it in various shapes and fry the xerotigana in sizzling oil *. See that their colour turns golden and not brown. When they are ready, take them out of the pan and strain them. Then prepare the syrup (for 10-15 xerotigana) as follows:
Mix the water and sugar in a saucepan stirring continuously, and let it boil for 10-15 minutes until the syrup becomes thick. Remove from the fire, add the honey and continue stirring in order for the syrup not to stick. Then dip the xerotigana in it one by one, soak them for 1-2 minutes, take them out, put them in a large flat dish and sprinkle with some sugar, cinnamon and some burnt sesame, if you want.
Use plenty of oil during frying because the xerotigana must be floating in it.

Option 2

Ingredients 1 kg coarse flour ½ cup sugar 1 little glass of raki 1 cup of chopped walnuts ½ cup sesame Cinnamon Honey 1 cup olive oil Oil for frying Syrup: 1 ½ cups sugar 2 ½ cups water

Mix together the oil, sugar and raki in a bowl and slowly add the flour and water. When the dough is formed (it must be quite firm) leave it to rest for about 1 hour. Then, either in the traditional way by hand or using a machine, roll it into a thin sheet and then cut it into strips 3 cms wide and 30-40 cms long. Heat the oil well in a frying pan and then take each strip separately, spear one end on a fork and place it in the very hot oil, winding the strip around the fork in the pan to form a nest. Alternately, roll them up before they are put into the hot oil. As soon as they brown, they are ready. Remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. Prepare light syrup by boiling the sugar with the water. When the xerotigana have cooled, dip them individually into the syrup for a minute or two. Transfer them to a plate and scatter the walnuts, sesame and cinnamon over them.

They can be prepared without syrup; simply pour honey over them and scatter over the walnuts, sesame and cinnamon.

Source: Prefecture of Chania

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Tags: sweet local flavours, dessert, treat