I havenโt posted in a while, so now I am back on track.ย These are Algerian Crunchy Sweets- Griwech ๐ฉ๐ฟ ย ย ย โGriwechโย is the Algerian Arabic word which means โCrunchy โ. Griwech is present in so many celebrations on the Algerian table, such as weddings and religious celebrations . Shaping the Griwech is fun and eating it, is a delight! Griwech is Crunchy and melt in mouth. Once the dough is shaped, itโs fried, then dipped in orange blossom flavored syrup and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. Wow! Itโs been more than a decade that I did not make Griwech, until now๐!
I have used a Griwech cutter as shown in the below picture, but you can use a pastry wheel to make the shape shown in the same picture.
For the syrup used in this recipe, pleaseย refer to my homemade sugar syrup recipeย bellow:
https://www.myexcellentdegustations.com/homemade-sugar-syrup/
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water plus 1 tablespoon extra to flavor the syrup
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Corn starch to work the dough
- Oil for frying
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnishing
- Syrup for drenching the Griwech (Please refer to my homemade sugar syrup recipe above)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, pour in flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and mix with a spoon.
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Add in butter, vinegar, orange blossom and mix well with hands in order to feel the texture of the dough.
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Whisk the 2 eggs in a small bowl and pour them into the big bowl of the flour mixture. If the eggs are large you may pour the eggs little by little and may not need to use all of them!
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Mix all the ingredients with hands until obtain a nice firm non sticky dough. Don't over mix the dough!
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Cut the dough into small balls.
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Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
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Take out the dough from the refrigerator and put it on a counter at least 15 minutes before starting to shape it.
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Sprinkle cornstarch on the working board and flatten the dough into a thin layer, using a rolling pin.
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Pass the thin layer into the pasta machine adjusted to number 5 thickness. This will make the Griwech dough all even in terms of thickness (this step is not mandatory).
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Start cutting the dough, using the Griwech cutter. If you donโt have one, you can use a pastry wheel. If you use a pastry wheel, cut rectangular shapes of about 4 by 5 inches, then make about 3 stripes lengthwise inside each rectangle without going all the way to the edges. Note that you can cut the dough into big rectangles with more than 3 stripes. I find it easier to work the dough with few stripes!
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Start to form the Griwech by passing two fingers (your index and middle fingers) between the rectangle stripes.
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Take one end of each rectangle (the top left) and gently pass it thought the stripes, then gently pull it. You will obtain a braided shape form.
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Place the shaped Griwech dough on a tray and cover it with plastic wrap. Finish shaping the remaining dough.
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Pour oil in a large frying pan, the oil should cover the bottom of the pan. Place the pan over medium high heat.
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Deep fry the shaped Griwech dough in batches, and make sure you through oil over the griwech with a spoon while you fry them, that make them puff. Flip the Griwech over to fry the other side, until they are golden brown. If the Griwech is fried quickly, you may need to reduce the heat to avoid burning it.
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Drain the fried Griwech on paper towel.
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Drench the Griwech in a slightly warmed syrup, flavored with orange blossom. Drain the excess syrup, then garnish with sesame seeds.
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Let completely cool, then store in an airtight container.
