Fried sweet baby gnocchi with dried muscatels

(Gnocchetti fritti all’uva moscato)

Serves 6

This sweet fried pasta dish is very rich and usually served in small quantities, as with biscuits or petit fours. It is wonderful with fresh coffee and Italian liqueurs.

375 g (13 oz/2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

50 g (1¾ oz) brown sugar

140 ml (4½ fl oz) moscato wine

180 ml (5¾ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

olive oil, for deep-frying

SAUCE

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped

juice of four oranges, strained

100 ml (3½ fl oz) blood orange agrumato olive oil (see Note)

100 ml (3½ fl oz) cognac

100 g (3½ oz) dried muscatel grapes, deseeded

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

Combine the flour and brown sugar on a work surface or large wooden board, add the moscato wine and extra virgin olive oil and bring together. Knead for 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 hour. With damp hands, roll the dough into long logs approximately 1 cm (½ inch) in diameter. Cut the logs into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces and roll into little balls.

For the sauce, place all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring regularly for approximately 15–20 minutes until the muscatels are rehydrated and infused.

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan, no more than half full, in a large deep-sided frying pan to 180°C (350°F). Deep-fry the gnocchetti for about 4 minutes or until lightly golden. Drain on a paper towel. Just before serving, toss the gnocchetti through the sauce and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you can’t find blood orange agrumato olive oil, substitute with extra virgin olive oil and half a teaspoon of finely chopped orange zest.