December is almost here and you’re planning (or already) making your holiday treats. We may not have as many visitors or visiting as many people this year but there’s nothing to stop you from gifting a box of cookies and pastries.

Besides Melomakarona and Kourabiedes (standard Greek Christmas cookies), many families from the Peloponnese will also be making Diples. These are sheets of dough that are fried, deftly rolled in hot oil. Not easy but not difficult if you practice.

I saw a cooking show hosted by Greek pastry Chef Stelios Parliaros last year and he filled Diples similar to how Cannoli would be filled. I loved the idea and served it to my guests at last year’s Mother’s Day luncheon.

Traditionally, Diples are dunked in a honey syrup but for this rendition, that step is skipped  – they become too brittle when applying the filling.

Instead, they are generously drizzled with honey, topped with walnuts and dusted with cinnamon. They are a delight to eat!

Cream Filled Diples

(makes 24)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup Tsikoudia/Raki/Tsipouro/Ouzo

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup warm water

1 large egg

olive oil for frying

For the Cream Filling

2 packages (500 gr. each) cream cheese, room temp

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup icing/powdered sugar

2 cups cold heavy cream (35%)

Garnishes

Greek honey

chopped walnuts

ground cinnamon

1. Into your stand mixer, add your flour, salt, Tsikoudia, olive oil and water and mix using the paddle attachment until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky (add a bit of water if too dry and add flour if too wet).
2. Divide into 6 pieces and roll into balls and cover well with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Now take out your pasta maker. Take a ball of dough and dust it well with flour and flatten with a rolling pin. Pass through your pasta machine from the widest setting, fold in half and pass through again. Repeat as you decrease the increments on your machine until you’ve rolled out a thin pastry sheet that should be about 80cm and approx. 8-10 cm. width.
4. Use a pastry wheel to cut into sheets that are about 12.5 cm long. Cover with a slightly dampened towel.
5. Place a large, deep pot on your stovetop and add 3-4 inches of olive oil (no more than halfway filling your pot) and heat to 350F.
6. You will need two forks to fold the sheet of dough like a rolled carpet.
7. Carefully place your dough sheet into the oil and tap it a couple of times to submerge it entirely in the oil. Now quickly fold it three times to form a rolled shape like a carpet. Remove as soon as light yellow colour has formed and place on a paper-lined baking tray. Repeat until all your sheets of dough have been fried into Diples.
8. For the filling, place your cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar in a large bowl. Begin to mix on low and once sugar is worked into the cream, turn speed up.
9. Add a slow stream of cream and mix until you have a still, whipped consistency. Transfer the filling into a piping back, and then fill the Diples.
10. Serve  whole or cut in half, drizzle with Greek honey, walnuts and cinnamon and serve.