Chestnut fritters (from Bocca di Lupo cookbook)
To make 14 (2-3 per serving):
Dough:
94g plain flour 9g caster sugar a heaped 1/3 tsp of baking powder 19.5g egg 37.5ml white wine
1. Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. 2. Add the wet to the dry; mix with a spoon, then knead with your hand until the dough comes together. It will be a little sticky. 3. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 mins (I did 4 hours).
Chestnut, chocolate & liqueur filling:
75g cooked chestnuts 19g cocoa powder 31g caster sugar 1/3 tsp cinnamon 37.5ml coffee liqueur or hazelnut liqueur (see step 2)
1. Blend the chestnuts with sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder in a food mixer. 2a. Add the liqueur and blend; OR 2b. Divide the chestnut mixture into two bowls. Add 19ml coffee liqueur to one bowl and 19ml hazelnut liqueur to the other. Mix each with a spoon.
To assemble:
1. Start at least 1 hour in advance. Prepare a baking tray or plate lined with baking paper. 2. Split the dough in half (it’s easier to work with it like this). On a floured surface, roll out as thinly as possible, about 1mm. Stamp out 7cm circles. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough. 3. Start filling the circles: place a teaspoon of chestnut filling on each one, brush half of the circle with beaten egg, then seal into crescent shapes. Press down gently on the filling to flatten the crescents. Seal tightly using your fingers or a fork. 4. Place the filled crescents onto the tray/plate, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate or freeze them at this point. 5. Cut the remaining scraps of dough into strips or some other shapes.
To cook:
1. Heat lard in a saucepan (I also added some groundnut oil to reach a level of about 2cm). 2. Over a high heat, fry the crescents in pairs; turn them over to brown on both sides, and lift out quickly. It takes less than a minute. They will puff up. 3. Drain on kitchen paper. 4. Fry the scraps of dough in the same manner.
Notes: - serve dusted with icing sugar, and with whipped cream, which will fit nicely into the space created when the fritters puff up. - leftovers can be kept in a lunchbox lined with kitchen paper, then reheated in an oven.