Diples, also known as Thiples, are a cherished Greek dessert. These delicate sheets of dough are dipped in syrup, reminiscent of angel wings but with a sweet syrupy twist.
Making diples involves a dough that's simple to prepare but requires a skillful touch when frying. Beyond being a beloved Christmas treat, Greeks serve them on special occasions like weddings and baptisms. I fondly remember offering these to my wedding guests, a labor of love crafted by my mother and our kind neighbors in our country house. We came together before the big day, making hundreds of diples, and it became an instant favorite among our guests. The tradition of serving diples at weddings traces its roots back to Mani.
To create these delectable pastries, gather all-purpose flour, baking powder, eggs, Ouzo, vegetable oil, Greek honey, water, lemon juice, crushed walnuts, and cinnamon powder.
With this traditional diples recipe, you'll yield approximately 75 pieces, requiring 1 hour and 35 minutes for preparation and 45 minutes for frying. These sweet treats are more than a dessert; they're a piece of Greek heritage, a taste of love, and a connection to cherished traditions.
Diples - Ingredients
For the dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup Ouzo
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the syrup and garnish:
- 1 cup Greek honey
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- crushed walnuts
- cinnamon powder
Diples - How to Make
- Start this diples recipe by taking a bowl and mixing the flour and baking powder with a large fork.
- Form a small hole in the middle of the mix with the help of your fingers.
- Crack in the eggs, and continue mixing by hand. Now slowly pour in the Ouzo, while continuing to mix.
- Knead the dough until you get a homogeneous dough.
- Cover with a damp tea towel, and set aside for 1 hour, allowing the dough to set.
- Take a large frying pan, and preheat the vegetable oil on high heat, careful not to burn the oil.
- Form a baseball-sized lump of dough with your hands, cover it with a dash of flour, and with the help of a wooden rolling pin roll out each part of the dough into thin rectangle sheets.
- Lower the frying oil heat to medium heat, and drop only one dough square into the oil; fry a square at a time!
- With two large forks, tap the square to fully submerge it into the oil.
- “Fold” over 2 to 3 times to form a rolled carpet shape and until lightly golden—about 3 to 5 seconds per square.
- Remove the fried pastry from the oil, and place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to eliminate excess oil.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining rectangle dough sheets.
- In a saucepan, combine the honey, water, and lemon juice.
- Heat and stir for a few minutes.
- Drizzle the syrup mixture over the diples, and sprinkle with crushed walnuts and cinnamon.