Ingredients:

For Pastry:

• 2 cups of hard flour (see Types of Flours)
• 2 cups of soft flour
• 1/2 a cup of corn oil
• 1/2 a tsp of salt
• 1 cup of warm water or as much as needed

For the Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup of semolina
• 1 1/2 cup of sugar
• 6 cups of water
• 1/2 a tsp of crushed mastic

For Glazing:

• Icing sugar
• Powder cinnamon

Dough preparation:

• In a large enough bowl, combine the two kinds of flour and salt.
• Add gradually the warm water and knead into normal dough.
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave aside for about 20 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a cylindrical shape and cut into 13 equal pieces.
• Take each piece, flatten with your hands, fold and press again and shape into a ball.
• Grease each ball, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 10 hours or more.
• The greased dough balls can be kept in the fridge for about 2 days.

Filling Preparation:

• Pour the water in a large enough saucepan, add the sugar and bring to boil making sure the sugar is melted.
• Gradually add the semolina, (stir constantly) and when it starts to thicken increase the heat.
• Stir constantly until plenty of bubbles form on the whole surface of the mixture.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed mastic.
• Pour the semolina mixture in a greased pan about 20X30 cm and spread out evenly to go everywhere in the pan.
• Set the pan with the semolina mixture aside to cool down and place in the fridge.
• The following day take out of the fridge the dough about 1/2 an hour before using and the filling about 15 minutes before using.
• Oil lightly the rolling pin and the surface you will be working on and repeat this step every time you handle a dough ball.
• Take a dough ball, oil lightly with your hands and press it by hand to flatten in out a bit.
• Roll out each dough ball, one at a time into a flat filo sheet.
• Using a sharp knife, cut out the filo sheet into squares about 15X15 cm each.
• Cut the semolina filling into 5X5 cm squares and place a piece in the center of the filo sheet square.
• Fold the two opposite corners of the dough square towards the center over the semolina filling.
• Take the other two opposite corners and do the same covering the filling completely forming a small envelope.
• Take each Shamishi (Cyprus Semolina Pastries) piece and place in an oiled baking tray, folded side down.
• Repeat the above steps until you use all the dough and filling.
• Fry in plenty of hot corn oil until golden, keeping the folded side longer in the frying pan.
• After frying the Shamishi, place in a colander or a kitchen paper towel to drain any excess oil.
• After draining, place in a tray folded side up and sprinkle with icing sugar and powder cinnamon.
• Shamishi (Cyprus Semolina Pastries) is served hot with a glass of cold water.
• Shamishi in Cyprus is usually being accompanied by Cyprus Loukoumathes (Cyprus Doughnuts dipped in syrup).
• In Cyprus Shamishi and Loukoumathes are made on the spot by vendors to these days in festivals or in specialty Pastry shops.