Loukoumades (Greek donuts)

Ingredients:

1 cup of lukewarm water
1 cup of lukewarm milk
12 g active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
3 1/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of ground cardamom ( a pinch= 1⁄16 teaspoon)
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves
Oil (enough to fill 1/2 of your pan)

Garnish:

Honey
Cinnamon powder
Walnuts- chopped to very small pieces

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add the water, yeast, and one tablespoon of sugar, and gently stir. Cover the bowl, and put aside for five minutes until the yeast dissolves, and starts to rise up.In another large mixing bowl, combine the milk, flour, two tablespoons of sugar, salt, olive oil, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Add the yeast to the rest of the ingredients, and whisk at high speed until you get a sloppy mixture. Cover the bowl, and put in a warm place for one hour (or more).

Add enough vegetable oil to a deep-frying pan (to fill one-half of the pan). Heat the oil on high heat until it gets hot enough for frying (test the oil by dropping a small piece of the dough into the oil).To shape the donuts, use two teaspoons to drop the dough into the oil. 
Place a small bowl of water beside your batter bowl, and dip the spoons in the water every time before you scoop the dough. Be careful not to crowd the pan by dropping too many of dough balls.

When dough balls are golden, remove them with a slotted spoon, and put them on a paper towel.
You can also shape the donuts, by plunging your hand into the batter. Make the fist, and get a little of the mixture into the palm of your hand by a small spoon (see the picture).

When done, transfer donuts to a serving dish.To garnish the donuts, pour honey on the top of warm loukoumades, dust with cinnamon, and sprinkle with ground walnuts.

My Notes:

• It is one of the easiest recipes to make.