Roxakia

Roxakia (Greek Cinnamon-Vanilla Pastry Rolls)

Roxakia are syrup-soaked pastry rolls from the Cyclades, scented with cinnamon on the dough and vanilla in the syrup. They are crisp at the edges and syrupy in the middle, traditionally made during Lent.

Prep

30 min

Cook

35 min

Total

65 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) all-purpose flour
• •15 g (1 tbsp) baking powder
• •5 g (2 tsp) ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
• •1 g (1/4 tsp) fine salt
• •120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, a mild, Greek-style extra virgin is traditional during Lent
• •200 ml (scant 1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
• •60 ml (1/4 cup) water, adjust as needed
• •20 g (2 tbsp) sesame seeds, white, for coating; optional but traditional
• •350 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar, for the syrup
• •300 ml (1 1/4 cups) water, for the syrup
• •60 ml (1/4 cup) honey, for the syrup
• •1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped; or 1 tsp vanilla extract added off heat
• •1 whole lemon, a 3 cm (1 inch) strip of peel for the syrup
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, for the syrup

Steps

1. 1 Make the syrup first so it is completely cold: combine the 350 g sugar, 300 ml water, honey, scraped vanilla bean (with the pod), and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let cool to room temperature. If using vanilla extract instead of a bean, stir it in only after the syrup has cooled.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt. Add the olive oil and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
3. 3 Pour in the orange juice and most of the water. Mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands, adding the remaining water a little at a time until you have a soft, pliable dough that is not sticky (you may not need all the water). Knead gently for about 5 minutes until smooth.
4. 4 Cover the dough and rest for 15 minutes. Divide it into 24 equal pieces (about 36 g / 1 1/4 oz each) and roll each piece into a thin rope about 25 cm (10 in) long.
5. 5 Coil each rope into a snail shape, tucking the end underneath. Place the sesame seeds on a small plate and press the top of each coil gently into the seeds.
6. 6 Heat about 2 cm (3/4 in) of a neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium heat to 170-175°C / 340-350°F (a small piece of dough should sizzle immediately and turn golden in about 90 seconds). Fry the roxakia a few at a time, seam-side down first, for about 2-3 minutes per side until deeply golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
7. 7 Using a slotted spoon, dip the hot roxakia one at a time into the cold syrup, turning them so they soak for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate. They should absorb the syrup but not fall apart.
8. 8 Let the roxakia rest at least 30 minutes so the syrup soaks in. Dust generously with extra ground cinnamon before serving. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days; the texture softens as they sit, which is traditional.