Borekas With Nuts and Honey

This little nut filled boreka, with a slightly sweet, crisp crust, is simmered in syrup flavored with honey and lemon after baking.  They are time consuming to make, so I only make them once or twice a year for special holidays.  My youngest son Mitchell is excellent at finding their hiding place and devouring them ahead of the evening when I am planning to serve them.  One year, I was about to prepare the dessert trays for a party, only to discover that the containers were empty!

Since anything containing honey is evocative of having a sweet New Year, it is traditional to serve these and other honey pastry such as baklava for Rosh Hashanah or Sukkot.

Dough:

4 and 1/3 cups flour

½ cup almond flour

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup safflower oil

1 egg

2/3 cup water ^[1]

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse once to blend.  Add the liquid and process for a few moments until a ball gathers.  Remove the dough from the processor.  Divide the dough into 50-55 little pieces.  Roll each piece into a smooth ball.  Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.  In the meantime, prepare the filling.  ^[2]

Filling:

2 cups almonds, ground

1 cup pistachios, ground

1 cup of pecans, ground

½ cup sugar

4 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Zest from one large orange or Mineola

1 teaspoon cinnamon

I use a small mini processor and grind my nuts 1 cup at a time.  It is best to use frozen nuts.  I put a couple of teaspoons from the measured sugar in the processor while I grind the nuts; it helps them to process better.  Mix ground nuts, sugar, honey, juice, and cinnamon together.  The filling should be sticky and pliable.  ^[3]

Next, using a rolling pin, roll out each ball of dough to about 2 and ½ inch in diameter.  Place a spoon of filling in each one and then close it like a boreka (fold and seal in half moon shape).  Place on a silpat lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes until done.  They will be very pale in color not deep golden.  While they are baking, make the syrup.  ^[4]

Syrup:

3 cups sugar

1 and 1/2 cups water

¾ cup honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the sugar, water and honey in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Heat on medium low until the sugar dissolves and the honey liquefies.  Boil syrup until just under 230º.  230 is threads stage.  If you put a bit of hot syrup between your thumb and index finger, then touch them, and then pull your fingers apart you should see threads almost form.  Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to the lowest setting.  When the Travados come out of the oven, use a spoon or tong to gently dunk each one in the syrup for a few moments, turn, and remove to a plate.  I have a very small sauce pan, because I like the syrup as deep as possible and only place 6 Travados in the syrup at a time.   ^{[5] [6]}

Set the boiled Travados in a storage container but leave the lid off until they are fully cool.  Store them, sealed and wrapped tightly, in a cool dry place for up to several of weeks. ^{[7] [8]}

Enjoy with tea or coffee.