Daktyla, ‘or ladies finghers,’ are simple Cypriot dessert based pastries that are baked and then drenched in a honey based syrup. They are made with filo pastry, almonds, cinnamon and honey. The shape of segmented stuffed little pastries resembles ladies fingers, hence their name. They have a crisp and very juicy texture. Daktyla are often served with Cyprus coffee at room temperature.
HOW TO MAKE DAKTYLA
Ingredients:
2 cups of finely chopped almonds
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
The zest of 1 orange
The juice of 1/2 an orange
1 packet of filo pastry
1/2 a cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of honey
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Place the chopped almonds, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice into a mixing bowl.
Mix well combining all of the ingredients to create a thick almond mixture.
Take one sheet of filo pastry and place it on a flat surface, brushing it with vegetable oil.
Continue this process until you have 4 layers of filo pastry one on top the other.
Cut the layered filo pastry into strips approximately 2 inches wide.
Line a spoonful of the almond mixture across each strip and then fold over the filo pastry to create a long circular shape.
Crimp both ends of each pastry parcel with a fork.
Place the pastry parcels onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Gradually heat the honey in a saucepan over low heat until it becomes thin and runny.
Remove the daktyla from the oven and immediately drizzle the warm honey over the pastries and then allow them to cool.
Serve at room temperature.
