Ladies’ fingers

Version A: 
Bring the syrup to a boil and remove from heat after 2-3 minutes . In a bowl, mix the flour with the oil. Add the salt and water and knead the dough well. Cover the dough and leave it for about ½-1 hour. Roll out a thin sheet of dough and cut it into small pieces of about 8 x 12 cm. Put some filling on the edge of each piece of dough and roll it up. Use a fork to press down the edges. Fry them lightly in hot oil and then put them in cold syrup for a while and put them in a strainer to drain. (Ministry of Agriculture 2006, Cypriot traditional preparations, 54-55).

Version B: 
Prepare the syrup: put the water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon peel in a saucepan and stir until the sugar melts. When the syrup starts to boil, leave it for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Squeeze a few drops of lemon and set aside to cool down. Proceed with the preparation of the dough: in a bowl, place the flour and oil and rub the flour with the tips of your fingers. Add the salt and knead it. Then add the water and knead until it becomes a pliable dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. For the filling: mix the almonds with the cinnamon, the sugar and a little bit of rose water. When the dough is ready, roll out the dough and cut it into strips about 6 cm wide. Place about a teaspoon of the filling and roll the dough into a finger shape. Press it with a fork at both ends. Then, fry the ladies' fingers and place them in cold syrup (Kourri and Lazarou 2007, unpublished editions).