Calzungit

These almond and lemon filled cookies are a favorite of my great grandma’s around the holiday time. Think crispy fried dough with lemon almond sugary goodness.

Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 lb almonds (ground fine in food processor with pinch of water) 
• 1/2 lb sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1/4 tsp clove
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, add sugar, 1/2 cup water, and lemon juice. Turn heat to medium-low, stirring the mixture until the sugar is dissolved.

Dough

Ingredients:

• 1lb flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Enough water to get the dough to form

Directions:

• In large bowl, add flour.  Make a well in the middle and add oil.

• Work dough with hands. Add water (1 tbsp at a time) and continue working dough, adding water as needed, until dough forms a ball.

Cookies

Ingredients:

• Almond Filling (above) 
• Dough (above)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Olive oil and vegetable oil to fry

Directions:

1. Take a small piece of dough.  Using a pasta machine, work dough through the machine starting on #10 working down to #1 (thinnest setting). The dough will stretch and lengthen into a long strip.
2. Take long strip of flattened dough and place on floured surface.
3. Brush side of dough facing up with egg.
4. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of almond mixture in middle of dough about 1/2 inch apart.
5. Fold dough over filling, sealing edges by pressing with fingers.
6. Using ravioli cutter, cut dough around filling into semi-circles. Repeat until all of the dough and almond paste has been used.
7. Line a large bowl with paper towels and set aside.
8. Fill medium sauce pan 1/3 of the way full with mixture of 50% olive oil 50% vegetable oil.  Heat pan on medium-high heat.  When oil becomes hot, reduce heat to medium / medium-low heat.  Fry cookies 4-5 at a time until golden brown.  Cookies will sink to bottom at first, and rise to top once they begin to cook.  Once golden brown remove cookies from oil using a spider or slotted spoon and place in bowl lined with paper towls.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat until all of the cookies have been fried.