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Sweet Pastry Knots

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Who doesn't love fried pastries? Soft or crunchy, we love them all, as they are so addictive, freshly fried and sprinkled with icing sugar.

They are always made of basic ingredients such as eggs, sugar, flour and butter, and scented with aromatic citruses and a dash of some liqueur.

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Who doesn't love fried pastries? Soft or crunchy, we love them all, as they are so addictive, freshly fried and dusted with some icing sugar on the top. They are always made of basic ingredients such as eggs, sugar, flour and butter, and scented with aromatic citruses and a dash of some liqueur.

The dough comes together quickly but leave some time for rolling out and shaping knots. You will be rewarded with a bunch of deliciously warm pastries you can pair great with a cup of tea.

You should also try our fried pastries made with chestnut flour, super delicious treat.

Making the dough for these pastries

Making the dough for sweet pastry knots is so easy and quick. First whisk EGG, EGG YOLK, SUGAR and pinch of SALT in a medium bowl then add melted butter, rum and grated orange or lemon zest and whisk briefly again. Now, sift in PLAIN FLOUR while stirring until the dough is formed.



Lastly, knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for a few minutes (until it's compact and shiny). That's it - so simple! Leave the dough to rest (wrap in a cling film to prevent drying out of the dough) for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Tricks for rolling out sweet pastry knots

The crunchiness is what makes these sweets unique, so the most important thing is to roll out the dough very thinly, to 1mm.

For this you will need a proper rolling pin and slightly dusted work surface. Half the dough and roll out each piece to rough rectangle (30x15cm). Using a flutted pastry wheel, cut the dough vertically into strips about 1.5cm wide. Tie a knot loosely in the middle of each strip. Our sweet pastries are ready to be cooked!



Tips for successful frying

  • For frying these little pastries you will need a deep frying pan or sauté pan. Fill with the enough sunflower oil for deep-frying then heat to 180°C (356°F).

  • Get kitchen thermometer - it's very handy when frying anything. If you don't have one, just drop a small scrap of the dough into the oil - if it start to sizzle immediately, the oil is ready for frying. If it darks quickly, lower the temperature and wait for a few minutes until the temperature drops.

  • Cook 3-4 pastries at the time - they should become lightly brown and crunchy. Remove them to the plate lined with kitchen paper and once slightly cool dust with icing sugar. Enjoy immediately!



Serving ideas for sweet pastry knots

All sweet fried pastries are the best eaten immediately, just upon frying. The simplicity is always the best - sprinkle them with some icing sugar and serve along a cup of tea. Serve them with melted chocolate or caramel sauce or with a spoon of your favourite jam and you have a great dessert! 

They also pair great with any creamy dessert, such as homemade pudding or silky panna cotta. We are sure that in any case, you won't be able to stop at just one!

Looking for more fried dessert? Take a look at these recipes:



Sweet Pastry Knots

MAKES: 40 pastries
COOKS IN: 40 minutes plus resting time
LEVEL: Easy

Handy equipment:

Digital Kitchen Scale | Mixing Bowl | Balloon Whisk | Pastry Mat | Rolling Pin | Pastry Wheel | Deep Frying Pan | Kitchen Tongs | Mini Sieve

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 42g caster sugar (1/8 cup + 1 tbsp)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 28g butter (2 tablespoons), melted
  • 2 tablespoons rum or grappa
  • grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
  • 200g plain flour (1 2/3 cup)
  • sunflower oil, for frying
  • icing sugar, for dusting


METHOD

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt then add melted butter, rum and grated orange zest and whisk again to combine.

  2. Sift in flour and knead until you make a compact dough.
  3. Tip the dough onto floured work surface and knead for a few minutes or until the dough is smooth and firm. Cover with kitchen towel and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

  4. Divide the dough into 2 portions. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each portion into a rectangular (30cmx15cm). The dough should be very thin, 1mm.

  5. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into stripes, about 15 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Tight each strip loosely into a knot and set aside.

  6. Fill a medium skillet (or heavy-bottomed saucepan) 1/3 full with the sunflower oil. Heat over a medium-high heat until it reaches around 180°C/356°F.

  7. Cook pastries in a batches of 2-3, for 10-15 seconds on each side, or until they are lightly golden and crisp. Use tongs to remove crostoli to the dish lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with remaining crostoli. Once they cool slightly, dust with the icing sugar.

CATEGORIES: PASTRIES & TARTS, FRIED DESSERTS, ITALIAN INSPIRED



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