Angel Wings (Italian Bow Tie Cookies)

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Angel Wings (Italian Bow Tie Cookies)




Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+ ½ cup more for kneading and rolling)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon table salt)

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons water (*see my note below)

6 tablespoons butter melted and cooled

(the melted butter must cool a bit or you'll cook the eggs)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract (or 2 teaspoons lemon zest)

1 egg white for "gluing" the bows

*Note on the water: My family uses water in the recipe, but others sometimes

replace all or part of the 4 T. of water with alcohol. Options include grappa, wine,

brandy, Marsala, rum, anisette, and whiskey.


Directions:

Step 1 – Make the dough: Whisk together the

flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set

aside. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs

and water very well. Add the melted (and cooled!)

butter and whisk again. Finally whisk in the pure

vanilla extract and lemon extract. (The lemon

extract may curdle your mixture a bit, but continue

whisking and you should be able to blend it

smooth.) Now stir in the flour mixture that you

set aside, a little at a time until a dough forms.


Step 2 – Knead the dough: At this point, the

dough should be formed but very wet and sticky.

Using your hands, knead in the remaining ½ cup

of flour, a little at a time, to rid the dough of

stickiness. You want the dough to be soft and

smooth and relatively dry, but be careful not to

over-knead it. After a minute or two of kneading,

you should be ready to roll—literally! (Note: I find

a short resting period for the dough makes it

easier to work with. If you have the time, allow it

to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

You can use the time to clean up your kitchen.


Step 3 – Roll out the dough: On a well-floured

surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough

to a thin layer—the thinner your layer, the crispier

your cookies! You can even use a pasta rolling

machine to do this job if you have one.


Step 4 – Slice dough into ribbons: After the dough is rolled flat, you’re ready to cut. A

fluted roller is traditional, and although I have one, I’m using a pizza cutter in my photos

because most US kitchen have one. First neaten up the edges of the ragged dough by

creating a large rectangle. Then slice the dough into long strips 1-1/2 to 2-inches wide.

Slice these strips crosswise to get ribbons of about 4-inches in length.

Step 5 – Form ribbons into bows: Place a bit of egg white in the center of each small

strip—this will act as glue. Pinch the centers together to form a bow. To really secure it,

I fold that pinch over one more time; otherwise, it may release during frying.

Step 6 - Fry the bows in hot oil (see a few tips below). Use a slotted spoon to scoop

them out and allow them to drain on paper towels. While still warm, generously dust the

cookies with confectioners’ sugar on both sides, or drizzle with warm honey.


Cleo’s Tips for Frying

* Rather than a deep pot, I like to use a large skillet

for frying the cookies. I fill it with only about 1-1/2 to

2 inches of oil, and this works wonderfully (see my

photos). Using the smaller amount of oil allows me

to change the oil more often during the cooking

process. Keeping the oil clean is important to the

taste and look of the final cookies.

* Be sure the oil is hot enough before you begin

frying. A small drop or two of water should sizzle

and dance on the oil. If it doesn’t, keep heating.

* Test the oil with a small piece of the cookie dough.

The dough should not sink for more than a few

seconds. It should very quickly inflate in the oil and

rise to the top. If it does not, again, your oil is not hot

enough. Continue heating or turn up the heat a bit.

* You are watching for the cookies to puff up, float

to the top of the oil, and fry up to a light golden

brown and not dark brown. This distinction makes

a big difference in taste and texture. Flip them once

or twice. Don’t overcook them.

* When the oil begins to turn brown and shows lots of

sediment, it’s time to change it. Dispose of all the oil,

wipe out the pan, begin a new batch with completely

fresh oil.

Step by step picture directions at link