Pastry Twists with Spiced Sugar-Honey Glaze

Ingredients

• 0.1 teaspoon active yeast dry generous ()
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour 
• 0.5 cup cooking wine dry white room temperature
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1 cup honey 
• 20 servings olive oil for frying extra-virgin
• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt generous ()
• 0.3 cup lard cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
• 0.3 cup lard cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• whisk
• kitchen thermometer

Directions

1. Whisk flour, salt, and yeastin medium bowl to blend well.
2. Add lardand rub in with fingertips until mixtureresembles coarse meal. Make well incenter of mixture and pour wine into well.Stir with fork until shaggy dough forms.Gather dough together and turn out ontolightly floured work surface. Knead doughuntil smooth and elastic, adding warmwater by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry,about 10 minutes.
3. Line large baking sheet with parchmentpaper.
4. Roll out dough on lightly flouredsurface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using flutedpastry wheel, cut dough into 1 1/4-inch-wideby 4-inch-long strips. Gently twist eachstrip in center, forming bow.
5. Place pastrytwists on prepared baking sheet. Rerolldough scraps to 1/8-inch thickness and cutout additional strips. Twist strips and placeon prepared baking sheet.
6. Pour enough olive oil into largesaucepan to reach depth of 1 1/2 inches.Attach deep-fry thermometer to side ofpan with bulb submerged in oil; heat oil to360°F. Working in batches, fry dough twistsin oil until golden on all sides, turningoccasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slottedspoon, transfer fried pastries to papertowels to drain. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight atroom temperature.
7. Lineanother large baking sheet with parchmentpaper. Bring honey to simmer in mediumsaucepan.
8. Remove from heat. Cool until justwarm.
9. Whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon,and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend.
10. Working with 1 fried pastry at a time,dip pastry into warm honey. Lift pastryand shake gently, allowing excess honey todrip back into pan.
11. Roll pastry in powderedsugar mixture to coat.
12. Place on preparedbaking sheet. Arrange pastries on platter.
13. For the best results, dipthe pastry twists in a mild-flavored honey,such as orange blossom. An assertivelyflavored honey will overwhelm the pastryand the spiced powdered sugar.
14. Finish the meal with aglass of Moscato, a sweet white wine. Donatellarecommends the 2007 Rivera "Piani di Tufara"Moscato di Trani, Dolce (Italy, $15). The wine'sspicy raisin notes are complemented by bitteralmond flavors and an apricot finish. If that bottleis unavailable, try the 2008 Michele Chiarlo Nivole
15. Moscato D'Asti (Italy, $16), a sparkling Moscatowith stone-fruit flavors.
16. To avoid coating yourfingers in the sticky glaze, use one hand fordipping the pastry twists in honey and theother for rolling the pastry in the powderedsugar mixture.
17. Bon Appétit