Travados(Honey & Almond Turnovers)

Somewhere between baklava and a hand pie, travados are one of those Mediterranean pastries that deserve far more attention than they get.

A soft, oil-based dough wraps around a filling of ground blanched almonds, honey, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves. Each little turnover gets baked until lightly golden, then takes a quick swim in bubbling honey syrup that soaks into every crevice.

The result is sticky, fragrant, and deeply nutty, with a warm spice note that lingers on your tongue.

This recipe makes 35, which is exactly the kind of generous batch you want when making pastries this good.

Kitchen Tips

• The dough should be soft but not sticky. Add flour gradually until you can knead it smooth without it clinging to your hands
• Press each piece into a thin 4-inch round. Too thick and the dough-to-filling ratio gets heavy
• Boil the baked turnovers in the syrup for exactly 3 minutes, no more. Longer and they’ll get soggy instead of sticky-crisp
• Work in batches when boiling in the syrup so they don’t crowd each other and cook unevenly
• Let them cool on a rack so excess syrup drips off and the outside sets to a glossy finish