IT@LIAN P@STRY TWISTS

i am not really a big fan of Italian food, but even i like it at times, like last night(my graduation night) i had dinner @ pizza hut with a very close friend & my ex-boyfriend.but what interests me more about this city is their fashion, men & countryside. i love the elegant rustic feel that this countryside oozes out, whenever i come across some kind of picture of those deserted stone villas or small houses amidst some greenary & a huge farm. so this dish was made yesterday.

this is kinda easy, trust me it is. what i love is that this dish isn't too sweet. the sweetness of this dish is kind of mild & it has a savory & crispy taste. and what i like the most is the wine... i have used port wine, which is kinda sweet. this, though i didn't give it to anyone for tasting, was made for the graduation day & to celebrate my loneliness & successful escape from the assignments of college life.
so here goes the recipe:

INGREDIANTS:

• 250g all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 25g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2tbsp melted butter
• 3-4tbsp sherry
• 0il, for deep frying
• icing sugar, for dusting.

METHOD:

• shift the flour into a large mixing bowl & make a well in the centre. add the eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla & melted butter.
• mix with your hands until the mixture starts to come together. when the dough becomes stiff, add enough sherry to make the dough soft & pliable. knead until smooth & then wrap in clear film(plastic wrap) & chill for about an hour.
• roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface & cut into 40 strips, each about 18cm x 1cm. tie strips loosely into a knot.
• heat the oil in a pan & deep fry the knots, in batches, for 2-3mins, until puffed up & golden.
• drain the pastry twists on the kitchen paper, dust generously with icing sugar & serve either hot or cold.

this i have served my friends with ice cream. as i had said earlier i have used port wine instead of sherry. this can be eaten anyways, but i felt this could be a good substitute of Darshan with ice cream( the delicious Chinese dessert). moreover i had chilled the dough for more than an hour  so that it becomes easier to work with. and i had put in an extra spoon full of granulated sugar. i did use icing sugar for dusting, and along with that i had used a bit of grated Gouda cheese also.and if someone has a problem in putting in so much effort, then the ready made pastry dough can solve all your problems.and this recipe demanded using some flavour-less oil, but i had to make it different. so had used mustard oil. it's in the Bengali gene, the love for mustard oil. but you can make it in any oil of your choice. try it, sweeten your relationships.