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Mavish (Rose-Shaped Armenian Pastries)

Prep Time:  20 Minutes

     Cook Time:  1 Hour

     Serves:  36

Terese learned how to make mavish, an Armenian rose-shaped pastry, from her late colleague Araxy Arganian, who said the word means “nothing,” as in, the pastries are so light it’s as if you’re eating nothing.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. shortening, melted
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 cups flour, divided
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying
  • 3 cups sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Beat eggs, salt and 1 tablespoon water in bowl. Beat in melted shortening.
  2. Using a separate bowl, mix baking powder with 1 cup flour; stir into egg mixture. Beat in another 1 cup flour. Gradually beat in up to 1 more cup of flour, until medium-soft dough forms.
  3. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into 3 balls; cover with cloth. Let stand 1 hour.
  4. Roll out one ball on floured surface to a circle 24 to 30 inches in diameter. Cut circle into 2-inch wide strips.
  5. Pour oil to a 3-inch depth into a large, deep, heavy pan. Heat until a small piece of dough puffs immediately when immersed in hot oil.
  6. Using a long fork, thread the fork tines perpendicularly onto the end of one dough strip. Lift the fork by its handle with one hand, and take the loose end of strip into your other hand.
  7. Immerse the fork end of the strip in the hot oil and, as the dough puffs and fries, rotate the fork until the entire dough strip is wrapped around it beneath the surface of the oil. Slide pastry off the fork and continue to fry it until golden, 5 to 10 seconds longer.
  8. Remove; drain on paper towels. Repeat process with remaining strips and dough balls.
  9. Make a syrup by simmering sugar in 1½ cups water for 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; cool 10 minutes.
  10. Dip and twirl pastries in the syrup, letting excess syrup drain off.
  11. Place pastries on platter; sprinkle with nuts.

Notes