ΒΑΘΜΟΣ ΔΥΣΚΟΛΙΑΣ
εύκολο
ΧΡΟΝΟΣ
30'
ΑΤΟΜΑ
4
ΥΛΙΚΑ
- 1 kilo white granulated sugar
- 300 ml water (about 1 water glass)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Περιγραφή
The white sweet is the classic Constantinopolitan treat, which was traditionally prepared on the feast day of Saint Demetrius and kept for the rest of the year. To this day, it remains the official treat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, having arrived in the City from the pastry makers of Chios in the 17th century, along with a multitude of other spoon sweets. It spread rapidly among the Constantinopolitans, who loved it, like anything refined that demands care and artistry in its preparation, appearance and serving. The Armenian women of the City also served it on name days, but the women of Constantinople, specialists in the ritual of serving, had invented different ways of treating guests to it, depending on the occasion.
Εκτέλεση
For the syrup: To prepare the white Constantinople spoon sweet, start with the syrup. Put the sugar, the water and the lemon juice into a saucepan and boil over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring from time to time. Once the sugar has dissolved and the syrup begins to bubble, continue boiling for 4–5 minutes and start checking every so often to see if it is ready, at the required thickness. On a white plate, dry and clean, let two or three drops of syrup fall here and there from a teaspoon. If they spread out on the plate, then the syrup is still thin and needs more boiling. When the syrup is ready and the drops that fall on the plate do not dissolve, but keep their shape and look like transparent knots, that is, like soft, transparent little balls, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the syrup into another saucepan so that it stops heating. Leave it to cool completely, for at least 2 hours.
For the stirring: Start stirring the cold syrup in the pot with a heavy wooden pestle or a thick rolling pin. The stirring doesn’t need to be fast; it just needs to have a steady rhythm, not be interrupted, and not change direction. As the syrup is stirred, you will see that it gradually begins to cloud more and more and become thicker, so the stirring meets more resistance. At this stage, a second person should hold the pot firmly with both hands so that it does not move while you stir. Continue stirring until the syrup begins to turn whitish and become opaque. Its color is pale yellow, not completely white. The more you stir, the more the color will gradually lighten and the texture of the syrup will become thicker and stickier – and therefore the stirring more difficult. Do not stop stirring. (If your hands hurt, which is to be expected and perfectly reasonable, a second person can take over.) The syrup will turn into white sweet in about 1 hour, depending on the intensity and speed with which you stir. It will be ready when you lift the pestle (or the rolling pin) and the mixture holds somewhat and then starts to slowly run down. Its texture is extremely smooth and its taste sweet and slightly toasty. (The stirring can also be done in a stand mixer, at medium speed at first, with the paddle attachment and, later, when the mixture has thickened sufficiently, with the dough hook.)
For the additions: If you wish, you can flavor it at the end with 1/4 teaspoon mastic powder or with 1–2 capsules of vanillin. In both cases, stir well so that their aroma is distributed evenly. You can also add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, which you can either stir in thoroughly to fully incorporate into the sweet, or stir in roughly to create “streaks,” as in marble cake or halva with cocoa. If you like, when serving you can dust the sweet with a little extra cocoa.
For serving: Put the white sweet in small dessert plates for spoon sweets, with teaspoons. If you serve it as an “submarine,” you can first leave it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up a bit, and always serve it as a generous spoonful in very cold water from the fridge.
For the stirring: Start stirring the cold syrup in the pot with a heavy wooden pestle or a thick rolling pin. The stirring doesn’t need to be fast; it just needs to have a steady rhythm, not be interrupted, and not change direction. As the syrup is stirred, you will see that it gradually begins to cloud more and more and become thicker, so the stirring meets more resistance. At this stage, a second person should hold the pot firmly with both hands so that it does not move while you stir. Continue stirring until the syrup begins to turn whitish and become opaque. Its color is pale yellow, not completely white. The more you stir, the more the color will gradually lighten and the texture of the syrup will become thicker and stickier – and therefore the stirring more difficult. Do not stop stirring. (If your hands hurt, which is to be expected and perfectly reasonable, a second person can take over.) The syrup will turn into white sweet in about 1 hour, depending on the intensity and speed with which you stir. It will be ready when you lift the pestle (or the rolling pin) and the mixture holds somewhat and then starts to slowly run down. Its texture is extremely smooth and its taste sweet and slightly toasty. (The stirring can also be done in a stand mixer, at medium speed at first, with the paddle attachment and, later, when the mixture has thickened sufficiently, with the dough hook.)
For the additions: If you wish, you can flavor it at the end with 1/4 teaspoon mastic powder or with 1–2 capsules of vanillin. In both cases, stir well so that their aroma is distributed evenly. You can also add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, which you can either stir in thoroughly to fully incorporate into the sweet, or stir in roughly to create “streaks,” as in marble cake or halva with cocoa. If you like, when serving you can dust the sweet with a little extra cocoa.
For serving: Put the white sweet in small dessert plates for spoon sweets, with teaspoons. If you serve it as an “submarine,” you can first leave it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up a bit, and always serve it as a generous spoonful in very cold water from the fridge.