Cenci - rags

20 g plain flour
25 g sugar
2 eggs
grated rind of 1 lemon
25 g butter
1-2 tbsp white wine - 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
oil for frying, pinch of salt
icing sugar

Sift the flour, sugar, salt, rind of lemon in a mound on a pastry board. Place the eggs in the well with the softened butter (not melted) and the wine.
Knead well until elastic and leave, covered with a cloth, for about 1 hour.
Roll the dough out in fairly thin sheets and cut out rectangular shapes (8x12cm) then make four parallel incisions just short of the edge on each shape.
Heat the oil (or lard) in a deep pan and drop the pastry so that they assume odd shapes when touching the hot oil. Remove the pastry as soon as they are puffed and golden and drain on paper towel.
Transfer them on a large sheet and dredge with plenty of icing sugar through a sieve.
They are specially good with Vin Santo and are a typical Carnival treat.