Penny’s Kattimerka – Cinnamon Pastries (Καττιμέρκα της Παντελίτσας)

These rustic, spiral-shaped pastries are a treasured family recipe from my mother-in-law Pantelitsa, known affectionately as Penny. Made with soft olive oil dough and filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves, they’re rolled into coils and dry-fried until golden and crisp. Best enjoyed warm with a strong coffee, they taste like tradition and Sunday mornings in the village.

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Servings: 20 pastries

Course: Dessert, Pastries, Sweets

Cuisine: Cypriot, Mediterranean

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the pastry

1 kg plain flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2.5 cups lukewarm water
2.5 Cypriot coffee/espresso cups olive oil approx. 300 ml

For the filling

500 ml olive oil
400 g brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ tablespoon ground cloves

Method

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and yeast to the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the water and olive oil, then add the salt. Knead on medium-low for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. If mixing by hand, knead in a large bowl until you have a soft and elastic dough.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your work surface for rolling. Combine the cinnamon and cloves in a sugar shaker or small bowl. If not using a shaker, you can sift the spice mix with a tea strainer.
Once rested, divide your dough and cut into roughly 50 g pieces.
On a floured surface, roll each piece into a thin rectangle. Keep both the surface and rolling pin lightly floured to prevent sticking, but avoid using too much to keep the pastries from burning when cooked.
Drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil over each rectangle to coat. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-clove mix and then with about 1 tbsp brown sugar, adjusting to your taste.
Roll the pastry up from the bottom into a long log, then coil it into a snail shape. Tuck the end underneath and gently press with your palm, then flatten slightly with your rolling pin. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
Heat a dry skillet or frying pan over medium-high. Cook the kattimerka for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.
Repeat steps 3 to 7 with the remaining half of the dough.
Serve warm, ideally with a strong, black coffee.