Eliotes (small olive pastries)

I treasure this and other hand-written recipes from my cousin Georgeina in Cyprus.
Georgeina and I grew up together, but were separated, when at the tender age of 16, she went to Cyprus to live.
Cuz if you read this – Love you lots!! xxx

Eliotes: makes about 30.

For the olive filling:
about 1 heaped measuring cup of black, chopped olives (no stones)
1 lg onion – chopped
as much chopped coriander as you like (about half- 1 cup)
few pinches of dried mint

Olive filling

for the pastry:
4 cups of plain flour
3tsp. baking powder
half a cup olive oil
half a cup vegetable oil
1 cup of orange juice.

Place the flour and baking powder in a bowl and pour on the oils, rub in with your fingers until the flour is well coated.

Now trust me. Pour in ALL the orange juice.
You will be faced with a hideous, gloopy mess, but as I said, TRUST ME!
Keep mixing and it will all eventually come together into a lovely, soft, billowy dough.

Break off small pieces and roll into round shapes, about the same size as a small saucer (or do as I did – roll the pastry out and use a large, round cutter)

Fill with about a heaped teaspoon of the olive mixture, and roll up.

cook in a medium oven (180 deg. C / 160 deg. C fan oven) for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

You may enjoy this old post about my cousin and her recipes.