Crostoli

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To prepare the dough, put the flour, white sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a hole in the center.
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Put the eggs, the melted butter and the grated lemon zest in the hole and stir the flour mixture in with a fork, starting from the center until combined, the dough should be creamy.
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Now mix in the grappa or other alcohol of your choice by pouring it into the center and incorporate it using a fork.
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When the dough is a little more solid, you can transfer it to a flat surface and knead it by hand, folding and pushing until it is smooth and homogeneous. Only if the dough is too hard you can add a very small amount of milk.
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Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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To roll out by hand: Divide into 5 parts, roll the dough out one piece at a time. On a well-floured flat work surface, roll out one part with a rolling pin until the sheet becomes as paper thin as possible. Fold it onto itself and roll out again several times to get straight edges as well as lots of bubbles when frying.
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To roll out with a pasta machine: Cut down into at least 5 pieces. Take one piece and flatten it with your hands to a length of about 10 to 12 cm. Now lightly flour the piece and insert it into the machine set on medium (usually number 3 or 4) and roll it through. Fold in half and add a good amount of flour on each side and put it through the machine again. You will then set the machine to either 1 or 2 (the thinnest settings) and put it through several times until the sheet is smooth and nearly sheer.
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To cut the shapes: Using a fluted pastry roller, cut the contours of each sheet of pastry and then cut the dough into individual medium sized rectangles (you can also cut on an angle). Place the rectangles on a lightly floured cutting board or serving plate spaced so that they don't stick together.
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To fry: Use a deep fryer or, if you prefer, a high-sided frying pan. Fill it with the vegetable oil and heat on high until it reaches a temperature of 175° C. You will know the oil temperature is right when you do a test to see if a small piece of dough starts to sizzle and fills with bubbles.
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Start frying when the oil is ready and at the ideal temperature. You can deep fry a few pieces at a time in the hot oil for 30 - 40 seconds per side. They will immediately puff and fill with bubbles. Remove the crostoli with a slotted spoon when they are golden but do not let them reach golden brown. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
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Finally, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy eating crostoli immediately.

Ingredients

Instructions