Shamishi - Šámiši

Version A: 
Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the rose water, mastic and semolina and stir until the mixture thickens. Pour the cream into a dish and allow to cool. Meanwhile, knead the flour with the oil (using your fingertips and then add water until you have a firm dough. Leave the dough to rise for ½ hour. Take a piece of the dough, dip it in oil and roll it into a thin sheet. Cut the sheet into a square and add some cream. Take the four edges of the dough, bring them together in the centre and press them together. Fry them in hot oil. Sprinkle with sugar and serve. (oral testimony: Maria Gregoriou, 68 years old, Agios Tychonas - Limassol).

Version B 
In a bowl, add the flour and salt. Add the water a little at a time and knead to a regular dough. Cover it with nylon and let it stand for about 20 minutes. Shape the dough into a roll and cut it into equal pieces. Then, take one piece and use the palm of your hand to form a ball. Thoroughly grease each ball with oil and place the balls in a container with oil. Cover them with peanut oil and leave them for at least 10 hours. For the filling: In a small pot, add the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the semolina a little at a time and stir. When the mixture begins to thicken, turn up the heat and cook the cream for a while. Towards the end, add the mastic. Pour the mixture into a greased pyrex. Allow the cream to cool and refrigerate. The following day, remove the dough balls from the oil ½ hour before using them. Oil the surface you will be working on, as well as the rolling pin. Take a ball, grease it well with oil and stretch it out slightly with your hands, then roll it out with the rolling pin to a very thin sheet. Cut the dough with a sharp knife into square pieces. Cut the cream into small square pieces of about 5 cm. Put a piece of cream in the centre of each square and press it down a little. Take the four tips of the square and bring them together towards the centre, so as to cover the cream and press them together. Fry the šámiši in plenty of oil (use also the leftover oil in the container). Remove from the pan and dust with icing sugar (Ministry of Agriculture 2010, Cypriot traditional preparations, 57-59).