Olive oil and fennel pastries in honey

Sweets and pastries treats have been served from the splendid counter at Confitería Rufino since 1875. Owner Pilar Rodríguez stands proudly in front of the carved wooden displays and mirrored cabinets filled with eel-shaped sweets made of marzipan and others made with egg yolks and walnuts cooked in sugar. But one of her biggest sellers are honey-glazed pestiños, little folds of short pastry just rolled and deep-fried. In some parts of Andalusia, they are simply dusted with icing sugar. In other parts they are sprinkled with sesame seeds, and in Cádiz are made with sherry. They were once only made for Holy Week and Christmas but are now often made all year around.

1. Sift the flour into a stainless steel bowl. Place the fennel, cumin and salt on top of the flour, but resist the temptation to mix them in.
2. Heat the 200 ml of olive oil in a small heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until very hot. Pour the hot oil over the flour and spices in the bowl, then immediately pour in the wine, taking care to avoid getting splashed by the oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon to form a smooth dough, but be careful not to over-work it or the pastry will toughen. Roll the pastry into a ball and cover with plastic film, then leave to rest for an hour.
3. Roll out the pastry on a cool well-floured benchtop until it is about 2–3 mm thick. Cut into discs using an 8 cm crinkle-edged round pastry cutter (or a jar lid about 8 cm in diameter). Brush the edge of half of each pastry disc with cold water, then bring the opposite edge over until slightly overlapping and pinch together to hold in place. Place the pestiños on a lightly floured tray or plate.
4. Place the honey and sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan with 100 ml of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low–medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until it thickens a little. Keep warm.
5. Pour the olive oil for deep-frying into a heavy-based saucepan or wok and heat to 170°C or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.
6. Working in batches, fry the pestiños for 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove and drain on a wire rack set over a double layer of paper towel. While they are still warm, bathe the pestiños in the honey syrup, then leave on the rack to drain and set for 20 minutes.
7. Serve at room temperature with hot coffee or Spanish brandy.