Cretan Kalitsounia Sweet Cheese Pastries

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 lb manouri cheese ricotta will do in a pinch or 1 lb fresh mizithra cheese ricotta will do in a pinch
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• olive oil for frying or clarified butter for frying
• greek thyme honey or cinnamon sugar

Steps:

• Prepare a stiff dough with the flour olive oil salt and water
• Leave to rest covered for an hour
• Crumble cheese
• Mix well with egg zest cinnamon and sugar
• Separate dough in two
• Take half of dough and roll out 1/8 inch thick on a lightly-floured surface
• Using a water glass cut into small rounds 3 inches in diameter
• Place 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture on each round of dough moisten edges with a little water fold over and seal well pressing the edges together with a fork
• Repeat with remaining dough and cheese filling
• Heat enough olive oil or clarified butter to come up about 3/4 inch of pan
• Fry pastries until golden brown
• Drizzle with honey or sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and serve hot