Fried Pastries With Wine Syrup Food

SYRUP-SOAKED PASTRIES WITH HAZELNUTS, PISTACHIOS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the eggs, and 1 tablespoon water and knead on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, 4 to 6 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and 3⁄4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep warm.
• Heat the oven to 350°. Unwrap the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Using a pasta machine or working on a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of dough until 1⁄16 inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 1-inch-wide, 12-inch-long ribbons.
• In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 cups oil over medium until an instant-read thermometer reads 330°. Attach the end of 1 dough ribbon to the tines of a fork in one hand and hold the other end of the ribbon in your other hand. Place the tines of the fork in the oil, keeping them against the bottom of the skillet, as if stabbing it, and slowly turn the fork clockwise, wrapping the dough around it as it fries and puffs. When you reach the end of the dough ribbon, let it fall over the spiral against the tines of the fork. Carefully remove the fork and continue frying the dough spiral, flipping once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the pastry to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining pastries, steadily maintaining the temperature of the oil.
• When all the pastries are fried, toss each one in the bowl of warm syrup and arrange on a large serving platter. Sprinkle the pastries with the chopped nuts, drizzle with the remaining syrup, and serve while hot.

FRIED PASTRIES WITH BROWN SUGAR SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine all syrup ingredients in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, covered, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Remove lid and boil until slightly thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Cool syrup, then discard cinnamon sticks and zest.
• Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add hot water, stirring until a soft dough forms. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Form dough into a ball and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a small ball. Roll out each small ball into a roughly 6 1/2- to 7-inch round (about 1/16 inch thick) with a floured rolling pin, lightly dusting dough and pin with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Arrange rounds in 1 layer on 2 long sheets of wax paper very lightly dusted with flour.
• Heat 1 1/2 inches oil in a wide 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until it registers 390 to 400°F on thermometer. Brush excess flour from 1 dough round and fry, turning over once, until golden brown, crisp, and puffed in places, about 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Fry remaining rounds, 1 at a time, in same manner, returning oil to 390 to 400°F before adding each.
• Serve fried pastries drizzled with syrup.

PEARS POACHED IN SPICED RED WINE WITH BOW-TIE PASTRIES

Steps:

• For pears:
• Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add pears, reduce heat, cover and simmer until pears are tender when pierced with knife, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup anisette. Cool pears completely in syrup. Cover; chill in syrup overnight.
• Transfer pears to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate pears. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 cup, about 35 minutes. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon anisette. Cover and refrigerate liquid until cold, about 4 hours.
• For pastries:
• Mix flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, aniseed and lemon peel in large bowl. Add milk, butter and vanilla and stir until dough forms. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to thickness of 1/16 inch. Cut dough into 3 1/2 x 3/4-inch strips. Trim ends diagonally. Twist strips at center to create bow ties. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Place bow ties on cookie sheet. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)
• Line cookie sheet with paper towels. Heat 2 inches oil in heavy medium saucepan to 375°F. Add 4 bow-tie-pastries and cook until deep golden brown, turning occasionally, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels using slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining pastries in batches. Place sugar in large bowl. Add warm pastries and toss to coat.
• Arrange pears on plates. Place scoop of ice cream on one side of each plate. Drizzle poaching liquid over pears. Garnish with cookies and serve.