Armenian Honey Cakes

Author Jane Haddam

Have you ever heard of Oldways - a nonprofit in Boston interested in helping people learn to enjoy foods related to the Mediterranean Diet? Or Jane Haddam, author of the Gregor Demarkian series of mystery novels?
I hadn’t... until recently.

I became acquainted with Oldways, when Georgia Orcutt, their program manager, wrote to me asking for a recipe for Armenian Honey Cakes. She was contacted by a woman who is an avid reader of Jane Haddam novels.

Apparently, the avid reader was intrigued by a line in one of Haddam’s recent books: “He had eaten an entire cookie tin full of honey cakes, and another cookie tin full of some hard cookie that he didn't know the name of.”
The reader was interested in finding a recipe for these “honey cakes”.

This is one determined person! The reader contacted the author, who directed her to the book, “Complete Armenian Cooking” (or something like that). The reader then checked with the Library of Congress to find that there was no recipe for honey cakes in that cookbook. Not wanting to bother the author again, Avid Reader found Georgia Orcutt at Oldways. Georgia didn’t have an appropriate recipe, began her own search and found ...... TheArmenianKitchen.com!

It was at this point that I began communicating with Avid Reader directly. I scoured through my cookbooks, including “The Complete Armenian Cookbook” by Alice Bezjian, which I thought might be the one she referred to earlier. I found nothing. Continuing my search, I came up with three possible recipes which I adapted for home preparation, 2 Armenian Honey Cookie recipes, and one for Spicy Armenian Honey Cakes. I did warn Avid Reader that none of these were tested in our kitchen, so I couldn’t vouch for their quality. 

Here are the recipes I sent: 

Recipe #1:


Armenian Honey Cookies


3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour


****************


additional sugar for rolling


****************


1. Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave oven.


2. Place melted butter in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except additional sugar), and mix until well blended.


3. Chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.


4. Shape dough into balls about the size of a walnut. 


5. Place additional sugar in a bowl. Coat each ball in sugar.


6. Place balls on a lightly greased sheet. With your fingers, gently press each cookie to slightly flatten. 


7. Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 8 to 10 minutes.


8. Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, store in an airtight container.










Recipe #2:


Armenian Honey Cookies
Yield: about 4 dozen

Ingredients:


½ cup honey
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
dash salt


******************


1 egg white, beaten
walnut halves, optional


Directions:


1. Combine honey and sugar in a large bowl, mixing well. Add eggs; beat well.


2. Sift flour; set aside.


3. Sift baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt into honey-sugar mixture; stir well.


4. Add enough of the sifted flour to make a stiff dough.


5. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 min. to 1 hour.


6. Remove ball of dough from refrigerator and flatten with your hand on it on a lightly floured work surface.


7. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a round, two-inch cookie cutter.


8. Place each round on a greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush top with beaten egg white, and press a walnut half in the center of each, if desired.


9. Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 12 to 15 minutes.


10. Cool completely on a wire rack.


11. Store in an airtight container.


Spicy Armenian Honey Cakes
Yield: 20 to 25 cakes


Cake Ingredients:


4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups olive oil
½ cup sugar 
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
dash salt


**********************************


Filling Ingredients:


1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon


**********************************


Cake Directions:


1. In a medium bowl, sift flour with baking powder and baking soda; set aside.


2. In a large bowl beat olive oil and sugar; stir in orange juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until well combined.


3. Gradually add flour mixture to oil mixture, mixing well until a soft dough has formed.


4. Cover bowl and let rest about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF.


5. In the meantime, prepare the walnut-cinnamon filling ingredients and set aside.


6. After 20 minutes, shape dough into walnut-sized balls, then flattening each.


7. Place ½ tsp walnut-cinnamon filling mixture in center of each.


8. Enclose the filling with the dough, pressing to seal.


9. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool.


**********************************************


Syrup Ingredients:


½ cup sugar
1 cup honey
½ cup water
2 tsp lemon juice
1 small cinnamon stick


Syrup Directions:


In a medium pot, combine all syrup ingredients and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that comes to the surface. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick; allow to cool a bit.


************************************************


Assembling Instructions:


Dip each cooled honey cake in warm syrup briefly and allowing excess to drip off. Place on serving platter.


***************************************************


Topping Ingredients:


1 cup ground walnuts
½ tsp ground cinnamon
dash ground cardamom

Topping Directions:


Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on each honey cake before serving.


**************************************************


Avid Reader appreciated the recipes and decided the Spicy Honey Cakes seemed more like the small-formed cakes as described in Jane Haddam's book. She plans on giving it a go.

Once she does, I’ve asked her to report back with photos, if possible. 


By the way, if any of you have another Armenian Honey Cake recipe, we would gladly post it. Avid Reader might prefer yours!

The 'Arsene Sandwich' - Grilled Cheese Spectaculaire

The ‘Arsene Sandwich’ is a specialty of Doug’s cousin, Arsene Dirkelessian. Some might call this a grilled cheese sandwich; we call it spectacular! While visiting Arsene and his family, who reside on the outskirts of Paris, he prepared this as a quick and delicious breakfast for us. I’ve gotta say, it was a great way to start the day.

Arsene’s recipe:
1. Cut chunks of crusty French bread, fill it with crumbled Feta cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese slices (or any cheese that melts well), crushed dried mint, a sprinkle of Aleppo red pepper (or a hint of cayenne), and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Grill it on both sides in a heated, lightly greased skillet, pressing down until the cheese melts and a minty fragrance fills the air. 
3. Serve with fresh fruit (or juice) and coffee.
 Voile!


NOTES:
1. Prepare this with your favorite bread, and if you have a George Forman grill or a Panini press, it’s a cinch to make.
2. This sandwich is great for lunch with a cup of your favorite soup or a crisp salad.
3. Check out Arsene’s other recipes for mujadarah, and 3-day hummus!

Chickpeas!

While visiting France, Doug's cousin Arsene took us to his daughter’s school end-of-the-year program -- a hantess, to Armenians. Arsene’s daughter, Marie-Luz, attended an Armenian day school outside Paris.

We’d been to many a hantess before, but never one like this. It started around 11 a.m. and didn’t wind down until about 10 p.m.In June, each teacher and their students performed skits, recitations, dance routines, songs - you name it.

Generations of families set up camp for the day, bringing board games, such as tavloo, extra tables and chairs, and a recipe to serve hundreds. Arsene was in charge of the Hummus.

Doug and I figured he got off easy with this recipe, even though he’d have to make a huge amount -- just open a bunch of cans of chickpeas, and throw the rest of the ingredients into a blender, small batches at a time. Voila! 

We were quite surprised when Arsene cleared the car out of his garage, set up a kettle as large as a tympani, and hooked up heating elements, the likes of which we’d never seen before.

When I asked why he was going to all this trouble, Arsene looked at me strangely and replied that it would take three days to make hummus, and he needed the space to make as much as was needed. Don’t you make you hummus this way? He shuddered at the thought of making hummus using canned chickpeas. I’m sure he figured we were just being “lazy Americans.” 

Doug & I looked at each other, thinking silently yet simultaneously, 3 DAYS??? Is he serious? Arsene was quite serious. He had to pick through the chickpeas for any stones or unsuitable beans, soak, strain, rinse, and cook them before he could even make the recipe. 

Then he had to make tons of hummus, and refrigerate it for the flavors to blend, so it would be perfect come Hantess-time. And it definitely was perfect, a clear hit with the large and hungry crowd.

Chickpeas are low in fat, and high in both fiber and protein. They make a nutritious and satisfying addition to soups and salads. Armenians use chickpeas in many ways, but none of our favorites require anything like three days or even three hours to prepare.
In fact, we're both particularly fond of roasted chickpeas -- and lazy enough to buy them already roasted. (You can find them in Italian groceries as well as Middle Eastern stores.) They're a healthy and filling snack that you can enjoy without guilt.

Chickpeas are also great on their own. Here's an easy way: 

Armenian Chickpea Salad
1 16-oz. can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzos)
three green onions, choppedjuice of 1/2 medium lemon
1/2 bunch chopped parsley 
2 Tbsp. olive oil 
salt and pepper to taste1/4 tsp. paprika 

Directions: 
Rinse and drain the chickpeas 
Add parsley and onions 
Add paprika 
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze in the lemon juice 
Add the oil
Toss and serve chilled.
Add fresh chopped garlic for a bit more bite!

Mujadarah, our favorite adopted lentil dish

In June of 2001, my husband and I went to Paris to visit his cousin Arsene Dirkelessian. 

Before we arrived, Arsene warned us that he and his wife Odile were vegetarians, and wanted to be sure we'd be OK with that. We thought this would be a good chance to shed a few pounds while visiting a city so rich in pastries.

We assured Arsene this would not be a problem - and it wasn't. Not only did Arsene and Odile go above and beyond their duty as hosts, Odile turned out to be a phenomenal cook!

She prepared one knock-out recipe after another. The one that stands out is mujadarah, a hearty mix of lentils and rice flavored by caramelized onions.

I was floored, not only by the taste but by the discovery. How is it I'd never heard of this fabulous dish before then?
Mujadarah isn't Armenian, but all of the ingredients certainly are -- and it's popular with Armenians from Syria (like Arsene) and elsewhere in the Middle East. 

So, we hereby declare it adopted!

Mujadarah
Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed, small stones or debris removed
4 cups water, or stock (chicken, lamb or beef for non-vegetarians) - divided
salt
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup rice, uncooked
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions for cooking Lentils:
1. In a saucepan, add the lentils, 2 cups of water or stock, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil; cook about 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat, cover the saucepan, and cook about 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
3. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

While lentils cook, begin the rice preparation:
1. In a second saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add the rice and saute about 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining water or stock, bringing it to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and cook about 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
4. Set aside.

While the rice is cooking, begin the onion preparation:
1. In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil using a medium heat setting.
2. Saute the onions for about 8-10 minutes, or until the onions have softened and turned a golden brown.

To Assemble:
1. In a mixing bowl, gently combine the lentils and rice. Arrange on a serving platter.
2. Spread the onions on top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

OK, I know some of you are saying - TOO MUCH WORK. Well here's a short-cut version.

Short-cut mujadarah
Serves 4-5
1-15 oz can lentils, rinsed & drained 
2 cups leftover, plain cooked rice - or instant rice
1 to 2 onions ( depends on how much onion you like), sliced and sauteed in olive oil until golden brown.
Parsley, chopped

1. Combine the lentils and cooked rice,thoroughly heating them. Place on serving platter.
2. Top with sauteed onions.
3. Sprinkle with parsley

(Dzevadzegh)

In our recent recipe search, some of our dearest readers have come through with some recipe suggestions.
To refresh your memory...Pam Moroukian was looking for a type of pancake, souvazogh. In answer to this, 2 readers indicated that it sounded like “dzevadzegh”, an omelet or French toast-type recipe.

Here’s what Shushan has sent in. Pam, let us know if this hits home.
Shushan wrote:
“Here's the recipe for Dzevadzegh (French Toast) from the ‘Tasty Armenian Dishes’ cookbook:

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt, optional
Sugar and cinnamon, maple syrup or favorite jam
4-6 slices day old white bread
1 tbsp butter or margarine

Combine eggs, milk and salt. Heat frying ban and grease lightly. Soak bread slices on both sides in egg mixture. Melt 1/2 tbsp butter for each slice of bread, fry soaked bread on both sides until golden brown. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon, or spread with jam or maple syrup. Serves 2-3.

Hope this helps!”

**********************************************************
OPTION #2:
Here’s a recipe option I found in Sonia Uvezian’s cookbook, “The Cuisine of Armenia”. It’s called, ‘Armenian Pancakes’, or Dabagaplit.

1 egg, beaten
1 ½ Tbsp melted butter, cooled to lukewarm
½ cup water
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (approximately)
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
clarified butter**
sugar

1. In a mixing bowl combine the egg, melted butter, and water; blend well.
2. Gradually stir in the flour salt and baking powder until a soft, smooth dough is formed.
3. With the hands lightly floured, shape into 1 1/4 inch balls.
4. Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle about 5 inches in diameter.
5. In a small, heavy skillet, melt a little clarified butter. Add the circles of dough and fry one at a time until golden brown on each side. Keep the cakes warm while the others are cooking.
6. Add more butter to the pan as needed.
7. Sprinkle with sugar and serve hot.

** Clarified Butter: Melt 1 pound butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Don’t let butter turn brown. Remove any foam which rises to the surface. Remove from heat. After a few minutes remove any foam that remains on the surface. Transfer the clear butter to a storage container. Discard any residue from the bottom of the saucepan.
Cover the clarified butter and refrigerate. Use for frying or baking.

OK, Pam, it's up to you to let us know which one is closer to what you're looking for.
If anyone has another recipe option, we're open to suggestions.

While visiting France, Doug's cousin Arsene took us to his daughter’s school end-of-the-year program -- a hantess, to Armenians. Arsene’s daughter, Marie-Luz, attended an Armenian day school outside Paris.

We’d been to many a hantess before, but never one like this. It started around 11 a.m. and didn’t wind down until about 10 p.m.In June, each teacher and their students performed skits, recitations, dance routines, songs - you name it.

Generations of families set up camp for the day, bringing board games, such as tavloo, extra tables and chairs, and a recipe to serve hundreds. Arsene was in charge of the Hummus.

Doug and I figured he got off easy with this recipe, even though he’d have to make a huge amount -- just open a bunch of cans of chickpeas, and throw the rest of the ingredients into a blender, small batches at a time. Voila! 

We were quite surprised when Arsene cleared the car out of his garage, set up a kettle as large as a tympani, and hooked up heating elements, the likes of which we’d never seen before.

When I asked why he was going to all this trouble, Arsene looked at me strangely and replied that it would take three days to make hummus, and he needed the space to make as much as was needed. Don’t you make you hummus this way? He shuddered at the thought of making hummus using canned chickpeas. I’m sure he figured we were just being “lazy Americans.” 

Doug & I looked at each other, thinking silently yet simultaneously, 3 DAYS??? Is he serious? Arsene was quite serious. He had to pick through the chickpeas for any stones or unsuitable beans, soak, strain, rinse, and cook them before he could even make the recipe. 

Then he had to make tons of hummus, and refrigerate it for the flavors to blend, so it would be perfect come Hantess-time. And it definitely was perfect, a clear hit with the large and hungry crowd.

Chickpeas are low in fat, and high in both fiber and protein. They make a nutritious and satisfying addition to soups and salads. Armenians use chickpeas in many ways, but none of our favorites require anything like three days or even three hours to prepare.
In fact, we're both particularly fond of roasted chickpeas -- and lazy enough to buy them already roasted. (You can find them in Italian groceries as well as Middle Eastern stores.) They're a healthy and filling snack that you can enjoy without guilt.

Chickpeas are also great on their own. Here's an easy way: 

Armenian Chickpea Salad
1 16-oz. can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzos)
three green onions, choppedjuice of 1/2 medium lemon
1/2 bunch chopped parsley 
2 Tbsp. olive oil 
salt and pepper to taste1/4 tsp. paprika 

Directions: 
Rinse and drain the chickpeas 
Add parsley and onions 
Add paprika 
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze in the lemon juice 
Add the oil
Toss and serve chilled.
Add fresh chopped garlic for a bit more bite!