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Calcioni
caveciuni
Cavaccuini, Caveciuni, Calzoni (Christmas sweet fritters, filled with chickpeas, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds and chocolate)
Originated from: Casacalenda, Molise
Occasion: Christmas
Contributed by: Pauline Fresco (her mother's recipe)

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Ingredients

For Dough
8 to 10 cups flour
10 eggs
10 tablespoons sugar
10 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon Magic baking powder

For Filling
1 lb dry chickpeas (ceci)
1 teaspoon baking soda (for soaking chickpeas)
1 lb pine nuts (454 gr)
1 lb walnuts
1 lb almonds
2 cups grated white chocolate
2 cups grated chocolate (milk chocolate or dark...)
1 1/4 cups honey
4 oz sugar

For Dusting
Regular table sugar



Directions

For dough

Make dough night before and let it rest overnight, covered with a bowl on plastic bag.



For Filling:

Soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight with 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Change water and cook chickpeas.

Remove froth when water boils and cook for 1 hour (Do NOT add salt or baking soda when cooking).

After the chickpeas have cooked for 1 hour, grind in food processor to form a paste.

Roast walnuts and almonds in oven at 375 degrees for 6-7 minutes (No preheating oven).

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl.



Pass dough in pasta maker machine until the last hole.

Put chickpea paste into a pastry bag or use a big spoon and fill dough.

Fry (deep fry) medium heat and place on tray with "Scott Towel" at bottom to absorb grease.

Sprinkle with regular sugar as soon as it is fried. Voila!


Notes

The fritters in this entry were made by Pauline Fresco, using her mother's recipe....This style of fritter is known by different names such as: calcione, calcioni, caveciune, caveciuni, cauciune, cauciuni, cauciun', calciume, calciumi, calciune, calciuni, calciuni, caucione, caucioni, caucine, caucini, cavazune, cavazuni and who knows what else? However, the official spelling for this style of Molisan treat on the world-wide web is (Well, seems to be): "Calcione" (singular form) and "calcioni" (plural form). In other parts of Italy this style of fritter is sometimes known as "ravioli di San Giuseppe" as well as "ravioli dolce," "sweet ravioli." N.B. In present-day Italy, "Calcioni Molisani" often refers to unsweetened ricotta-stuffed fritters rather than chickpea-stuffed sweet fritters. However, prior to World War II, most people living in the Molisan countryside thought of "calconi" as sweet fritters made with chickpeas. Those Italians (and their children) who immigrated to North America in the 1950s still think of "calcioni" as pastries stuffed with chickpeas rather than with ricotta and/or chestnuts.

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