Crostoli

Preparation Time: 60 - 90 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 - 20 minutes

Makes around 50 biscuits (depending on shape sizes)

You will need a pasta machine for this

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of self raising flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon rind
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
2 tablespoons of brandy
2-3 spare tablespoons of water to balance if too dry
500ml olive oil for frying them in
Icing sugar to dust them after they are cooked


First place the flour into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, oil, lemon rind and juice, vanilla, eggs and brandy and blend with fingers until it starts to form a nice dough.  Add the additional water if required to make a smooth dough ball.

Knead the dough gently on a floured board and when smooth divide this up into four equal pieces and wrap each in glad wrap and set aside.

Place your pasta machine on the bench and set roller on the thickest (widest) setting (8)  .  Unwrap one of your dough balls and place in hand to flatten slightly.  Dust rollers with a little flour.  Feed dough slowly through the machine approx 3 to 4 times , folding as you go to get a rectangle shape.  Do not stress if you cannot get an exact perfect shape they are individual and are all tasty whatever the shape.  Reduce setting if you like by one size and roll through machine.  Some people like to use eg. ravioli cutters to cut into strips.  I did not have one however so i used a normal knife to cut them.

Heat your oil as you go and in a fry pan that is quite deep add some oil to cover the top of around 3 at a  time (next to each other).  Cook each side for approx 2 minutes.  Try to not brown them too much.  Use tongs to remove them one at a time and set on wire rack to dry and shake icing sugar over each.  Repeat until all batches are done.

Place  into airtight containers after they have cooled down.