Tentasiù de la spusa

To make the tentasiù de la spusa, first prepare the dough: melt the butter in a bain-marie or microwave and let it cool. In a large bowl, mix the sifted flour and salt 1, add the melted butter 2 and mix with a fork. Gradually add the water at room temperature 3 and knead until all the ingredients are gathered together. If the dough is too dry, add more water; if too liquid, add more flour. (Alternatively, you can prepare the dough by placing the flour and cold butter pieces in a mixer to obtain a sandy mixture and then continue kneading by hand, incorporating the water).

The dough will be ready when it detaches from the sides and your hands 4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap 5 and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Now prepare the garnish: coarsely chop, preferably with a knife, the pine nuts 6,

the walnuts 7, and raisins 8, place the dried fruit in a bowl and set aside 9.

Prepare the honey glaze: melt 1 oz of butter in a bain-marie 10, when melted, add the honey 11 and finally the previously chopped dried fruit mixture 12. Leave everything on the heat in a bain-marie, so the mixture remains liquid and doesn't thicken.

Take the dough, place it on a sheet of parchment paper 13 and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper 14, so it doesn't stick to the work surface and there's no need to add flour to the dough. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin 15,

creating a round and quite thin sheet, about 1/16 inch 16. Cut the sheet in half with a smooth pastry cutter and cut strips of dough 3/8 inch wide and 4 inches long 17. Starting from one corner of the strips, roll them up to create compact spirals (or twists) but with a diameter not too small 18 (if the dough becomes too soft to work with, you can refrigerate the dough strips before shaping them into spirals).

To maintain the curl during cooking, roll the spirals tightly 19. Place a pan with a high bottom on the heat with the seed oil, check with a kitchen thermometer that the oil temperature reaches 338°F, and immerse the tentasiù in the pan using a slotted spoon to preserve the spirals' shape 20. Fry the tentasiù a few at a time 21, the temperature must never exceed 338°F, or they will burn; conversely, if the temperature falls below 338°F, they will be too dry. (If you want, you can also use a fryer or alternatively bake the tentasiù de la spusa in a static oven at 392°F for about 15 minutes or convection oven at 356°F for 10 minutes).

The tentasiù will be ready when they are nicely golden 22, it will take a couple of minutes. Drain them on a tray covered with absorbent paper, then place them on a serving plate, and using a teaspoon, drizzle them with the honey and dried fruit mixture you have kept warm 23, finally dust them with powdered sugar 24. Enjoy the tentasiù de la spusa warm to prevent them from absorbing the moisture from the honey, making them too rubbery.