Spiced Rum Fritters (Veneto)

Desserts

Ingredients

Seedless white raisins - 2/3 cup

Rum - 2/3 cup

Compressed yeast - 1 1/2 cakes

Lukewarm water - 1/2 cup

all purpose flour - 4 cups

Vanilla sugar - 1/4 cup

Salt - pinch

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Pine nuts - 5 tbsps

Ground cinnamon - pinch

Candied peel, finely chopped - 1/3 cup

Oil for deep frying

Confectioners sugar

Soak the white raisins in rum until plump and swollen.

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Sift the flour into a large warmed bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the dissolved yeast, sugar, salt, grated rind, pine nuts, the raisins with their rum, a pinch of cinnamon and the peel. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, adding a little more lukewarm water if necessary, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 4 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down and knead until smooth, adding a little more water if necessary to make a soft, very pliable dough.

Heat a large pan of oil and fry teaspoonfuls of the dough, a few at a time, until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, dusted with sifted confectioners sugar.

Serves 8-10