Italian Special Sweet Fried Ravioli Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 squaress semisweet chocolate , 1 ounce
• 1 square unsweetened chocolate , 1 ounce
• 2 cups shortening for frying
• 1 cup garbanzo beans , drained and pureed
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 cups pureed dates
• 0.75 cups ground walnuts
• 3 eggs
• 0.25 cups melted shortening
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 cups white sugar
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 0.33 cups confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. 1

   Melt semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. Heat the 2 cups shortening in a large, heavy skillet or deep fryer.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, stir together the pureed garbanzo beans, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the dates and nuts. Blend with the cooled chocolate. Chill while you make the dough.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Stir in the 1/4 cup melted shortening. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and fold into the egg mixture. Add extra flour if necessary to make the dough easy to handle.

4. 4

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles using a cookie cutter or a large drinking glass. Place 1 teaspoon of the chocolate filling mixture onto the center of each cookie, fold over into a half circle, and pinch to seal.

5. 5

   Fry cookies in 1 1/2 inches of hot oil, turning once. Cookies should be light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Refrigerate when cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.