Italian Sfrappole Fried Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN BOW TIE COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat all wet ingredients, eggs, butter, wine, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy.
• Add flour, baking powder until dough is the right consistency to roll out.
• Roll out on floured board, as thin as possible., try not to over flour the board as they will get dry and tougher, (just lightly floured).
• Cut into a strip using a pastry cutter and tie in bows or twist like a ribbon, (a cutter with fluted edges works well and looks prettier)
• Fry in around 3 inches of oil or deep fryer on medium heat, until golden brown, drain on a dish lined with paper towels.
• These should be light and golden not dark and they also float to the top, they take around 1 or 2 minutes on each side.
• Cool sprinkle with powdered sugar

UNCLE FRANK'S ITALIAN "S" COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, sugar, shortening, milk, eggs, baking powder, and almond extract in a bowl by hand until smooth.
• Form dough into a 1-inch thick log. Cut small portions and roll into 3-inch long pieces, then shape into "S" shapes. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN SPECIAL SWEET FRIED RAVIOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. Heat the 2 cups shortening in a large, heavy skillet or deep fryer.
• In a small bowl, stir together the pureed garbanzo beans, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the dates and nuts. Blend with the cooled chocolate. Chill while you make the dough.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Stir in the 1/4 cup melted shortening. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and fold into the egg mixture. Add extra flour if necessary to make the dough easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles using a cookie cutter or a large drinking glass. Place 1 teaspoon of the chocolate filling mixture onto the center of each cookie, fold over into a half circle, and pinch to seal.
• Fry cookies in 1 1/2 inches of hot oil, turning once. Cookies should be light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Refrigerate when cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.

FRAPPE OR CIOFFE: BOWS AND RIBBONS OF FRIED SWEETENED DOUGH

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer, place eggs, sugar, salt, and whisky in a large bowl and mix for two minutes or so (if making by hand, combine the ingredients, and stir well with a wooden spoon.)
• Add one cup (in UK, just use a regular cup-no need to measure) of flour and mix well.
• Add the remaining flour and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
• With hands, shape dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.
• Remove from fridge and cut dough in half and roll out one piece very thinly, on floured workspace.
• Dough will be elastic, but re-roll it if it gets too thick. Using a knife or cutter to cut into strips. Use a pasta rolling machine if you have one.
• Cut a strip: no size is right or wrong, but about 6 or 7 inches is a good size. Make a little cut towards one end. Now place the opposite end through that slit, and pull through to make a ribbon shape. Repeat, until all of dough is used.
• Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pot or deep fryer (I use a wok) until hot. Before dropping the pastry in the oil, pull and stretch each one, so that it is thinner (as they shrink after being shaped) then begin frying the pastries until puffed and light brown on each side.
• Remove with strainer and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
• When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar (or decorate with icing, or honey.)

FLORENTINE LOVE KNOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Put flour into a bowl and mix in the butter.
• Add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, salt, lemon zest, and rum to the flour.
• Work the ingredients into dough.
• If the dough is too dry add a little water.
• Place the dough on a floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes.
• The dough should be smooth and shiny.
• Cover and allow to rest in a cool place for 1 hour.
• Heat at least 3-4" of oil to 350°F
• Divide the dough into fourths.
• On a floured surface roll out one quarter of the dough until it is thin (1/6") and cut into strips about 4" x 1/2".
• Tie each strip into a simple, loose knot.
• Fry the knots, 4 or 5 at a time, until puffed up and golden (about 1-2 minutes).
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Before serving sprinkle with sifted confectioners sugar.

ITALIAN FROSTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir orange zest into flour mixture. Mix vegetable shortening and margarine into dry ingredients, using your hands, until mixture is crumbly.
• Beat eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until foamy; add egg mixture, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup milk to flour mixture and knead dough in the bowl until thoroughly combined and dough doesn't stick to your hands, about 8 minutes. Dough will be stiff. Knead cream cheese thoroughly into dough, followed by walnuts.
• Form dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
• Beat 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon orange juice, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; gradually beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting is thick and drizzles slowly from a spoon.
• Dip tops of cookies into frosting and place frosted cookies on racks with waxed paper underneath to catch drips. Let cookies dry overnight.