Mar
5

Daktyla (Ladies’ fingers)

Ivy on March 5th, 2009
Daktyla kyrion (meaning ladies fingers) is one of the most known Cypriot pastry desserts and a speciality offered during the pre-lenten period  called “Sikoses” in Cyprus.  The word “sikoses” derives from the verb σηκώνω = sikono, meaning lifting.  Sikoses is the ten day period before lent when the lifting of all the meat takes place before Easter.  As most of the Cypriot traditional recipes these were made with simple ingredients which the housewives had at home everyday.   A very old recipe with few ingredients but so delicious.
Making daktyla used to be quite a difficult job, having to roll out the dough and even nowadays when the phyllo can be made using a pasta machine, although the procedure is much easier, it takes quite some time to make them.   I remember my mother would make them quite often and she used to roll our the phyllo the traditional way.  She always needed some help and she would call me to help, even when I was very young .  At the beginning she would tell me to press the edges with a fork and gradually year by year I helped even more and would even roll out the phyllo, until I got married and then bought a pasta machine, which made things much easier.


The Almond stuffed pastries called Daktyla are my entry for Let’s go Nuts with Almonds, hosted by JZ, of Tasty Treats.

I am also sending this recipe to In My Box, hosting this month’s Sugar High Fridays #53, created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess.

Finally, The Adorable Blog Award was bestowed upon me by two dear friends.  Maria, of The Goddess’s Kitchen, and  Rosie, of Baking Cakes Galore.    Thank you Maria and Rosie very much.  I shall cherish this Award and since it’s a double award it will go to more friends!!!

Here are the rules for this award:

Include the award logo in your blog or post.
Nominate as many blogs which show adorability, cuteness and charm.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

And……. the Award goes to……

Niki @ Baking and Pastry

Rosie @ Baking Cakes Galore

Simona @ Briciole

Brii @ Brii’s Blog in English

Bunny @ Bunny’s Warm Oven

Reeni @ Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Dibs @ Chitra Amma’s Kitchen

Courtney @ Coco Cooks

Lore @ Culinarty

Dharm @ Dad - Baker & Chef

Giz & Psychgrad @ Equal Opportunity Kitchen

Elly @ Elly says Opa!

Joan @ Foodalogue

Susan @ Food Blogga

Natalia @ Gatti, fili e farina

Yasmeen @ Health Nut

Ning @ Heart and Hearth

Marianna @ History of Greek Food

Arfi @ HomemadeS

Hopie @ Hopie’s Kitchen

Vani @ Illatharasi

Debbie @ Kahakai Kitchen

Maria @ Kali Orexi

Sylvia @ La vida en Buenos Aires

Cakelaw @ Laws of the Kitchen

Pixen @ Life loves the curious

Lisa @ Lisa’s Vegetarian Kitchen

Abigail @ Mamatouille

SriLekha @ Me and my Kitchen

Teresa @ Mexican-American Cooking

Val @ More than Burnt Toast

Aparna @ My Diverse Kitchen

P.G. @ My Kitchen Stories

Happy Cook @ My Kitchen Treasures

Deeba @ Passionate about baking

Priya @ Priya’s Easy N Tasty

Rosa @ Rosa’s Yummy Yums

Nuria @ Spanish Recipes

Sunita @ Sunita’s World

Cynthia @ Tastes like home

J.Z. @ Tasty Treats

Maria @ The Goddess’s Kitchen

Rachel @ The Crispy Cook

Heni @ Simplicity by the Sea

Jessie @ The Hungry Mouse

Jenn @ The Leftover Queen

Sunshine Mom @ Tongue Ticklers

Meeta @ What’s for lunch honey?

Lubna @ Yummy Food

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27 Responses to “Daktyla (Ladies’ fingers)”

  1. natalia
    March 5th, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Dewar Ivy how beautiful are your stories ! I’d love to make these sweets with you sometimes !!!Thank you for your award !!!I’m very proud of it !!

  2. Lubna Karim
    March 5th, 2009 at 11:10 am

    Wow Daktyla looks yum…..The process may be long but the end results make me drool…….Thank you for such a beautiful and adorable award.

  3. Peter G
    March 5th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever had these…they look familiar. (Are they similar to “poura” (cigars)?) Anyway…delicious looking Ivy!

  4. Arwen from Hoglet K
    March 5th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    Mmm, syrup with orange and spices sounds divine!

  5. Rosa
    March 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    Thanks ever so much for the award! I am so flattered…

    These Ladie’s fingers look so good! An exquisite treat!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  6. Cakelaw
    March 5th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    These sound delish Ivy - almonds and orange blossom water make for an interesting combination. Love your photo montage.

    Thanks for the award! I am very honoured.

  7. JZ @ Tasty treats
    March 5th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    wow, Ivy!! I really have to admire and comment on your determination! Making daktyla seems to be such a long process, but you have left me longing for more :-). The pictorial tutorial is awesome…

    Thank you so much for sending this to Lets go nut - Almonds!!
    What an amazing entry!!

    Thank you so much for the adorable blog award too… First one in a long time ;-) I really appreciate it! :-)

  8. Peter
    March 5th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    Ivy, good post…a reminder for me to try these…I have them bookmarked to try out in a cookbook.

  9. Happy Cook
    March 5th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    Thankyou for passing mle the award.
    It is always wonderful to learn new kind of food from your place.
    This one looks so delicious and going throught the recipe i can say it must be really really yummy to eat these.

  10. Aparna
    March 5th, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    I know its a lengthy process but its certainly worth the effort. We laso have swwets like this in India which are deep-fried and then coated in thick sugar syrup, and I know how good they taste.:)

    Thanks for considering my blog “Adorable”, Ivy.

  11. maria
    March 5th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

    I have njoyed daktyla in many a Cypriot friend’s home and they are extremely good. I always want to try desserts such as these or diples, but HATE frying at home … I need to get over that though because I am missing out on some yummy dishes!! Thank you for the recognition! XOXOXOXO

  12. Bellini Valli
    March 5th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    First of all congratulations on your awards Sis, and thank you for bestowing it upon me as well. These pastries sound incredible. They are almost like filo Spring Rolls and very, very tempting.I admire you so much. I don’t think I would spend the time to prepare my own filo. We can get a thicker grade of filo that give our dishes that “almost homemade” feel, we can also get wholewheat filo as well.

  13. Rachel
    March 5th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

    Efharisto, Ivy! I value this award and your friendship. I will write a blog post about this award soon when I have had time to think about who else to bestow it to.

  14. JennDZ_The LeftoverQueen
    March 5th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    Aw, thanks Ivy! I really appreciate the award! Those Lady Fingers look awesome! I imagine they are very satisfying to crunch into.

  15. arfi
    March 5th, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    mmm… i can believe these must be a winner amongst kids. we have similar treat using spring roll wraps, though we use banana instead of nuts. i still do it for my family sometimes, though I myself cannot eat it. put some nutella in it, surely they will be finished before you know it!

  16. Kiran
    March 6th, 2009 at 12:57 am

    These sound great, and the pictures do it justice. We make a similar sweet dish, with mixed nuts, sugar, coconut, raisins and semolina. I like the idea of this filling and also using filo pastry, I have yet to be brave and use it. You are doing good to keep the tradition and making home made filo pastry. It is wonderful to keep such traditions alive so that we can pass it on to the next generation. Nothing beats home made food :D

  17. Reeni
    March 6th, 2009 at 2:59 am

    I love these, especially for the filling. I can’t resist anything with almonds. They look so scrumptious! Thank-you so much for passing on your award to me. Your as sweet as these Daktyla!

  18. Trish Lathourakis
    March 6th, 2009 at 4:44 am

    Hello Ivy

    I know these very well, but only ever as daktyla. My father loves them and would go crazy if I made them for him!!!

  19. Susan from Food Blogga
    March 6th, 2009 at 5:17 am

    I’m adorable? Aw, shucks. Thanks a bunch, Ivy.

  20. Ning
    March 6th, 2009 at 9:41 am

    The Daktyla sounds good and yummy, I don’t think anyone would feel that they are fasting for lent! Congratulations for the award! and thanks for passing on to me :) You’re truly truly adorable!!!

  21. elly
    March 6th, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    These look SO fabulous! I have never had them before! Thanks for the award! :)

  22. Lisa
    March 7th, 2009 at 3:24 am

    Well worth the effort I am sure! And thanks for the award Ivy. I’m flattered you thought of me. Your quite charming and adorable yourself.

  23. Abigail
    March 10th, 2009 at 7:26 am

    Those look SO yummy and I can just imagine them with that hint of bitter orange water. Yum! And thank you for the cuteness award - how fun!

  24. Núria
    March 10th, 2009 at 10:53 am

    Dearest Ivy, You will think I’m so rude! I haven’t said anything for a while, not even thank you!!!! Sorry girl… I don’t spend as much time in front of my Pc lately plus I feel a bit lazy about blogging… Hopefully the excitement will come back soon.
    Thank you so much, you are a great FRIEND♥

    Your lady fingers look so tasty and crunchy… Mmmmmm :D

  25. Friedl
    March 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

    A recipe that’s about 2000 years old ?! Amazing !

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