Ingredients
For dough
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 small lemon blended with 1 teaspoon sugar
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For garnish
Icing sugar
Directions
Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients and work into a soft malleable dough.
Form the dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.
Let it rest for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Using a rolling pin roll out the dough on a floured wooden pastry board to about 1/8 of an inch thick (P.S. As the dough is not all that sticky due to the fact that there are no eggs, a pasta marker will not be helpful in rolling out the dough, a rolling pin is a much better utensil for this recipe. Also, dusting the dough with flour while rolling it out helps in thinning it out.).
Using a serrated pastry cutter cut out rectangular shapes of various lengths -- about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long.
If bow-shaped fritters are desired (Harder to carry out successfully) then cut the dough into long thin rectangular strips -- about 1 inch wide and 8 inches long, and then shape into bows.
Make incisions in the rectangular-shaped fritters.
Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan.
When the oil is hot place a few fritters at a time in the pan and fry until golden.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the fritters on paper towels.
Cool.
Before serving dust with icing sugar.
Notes
This is my personal take on a vegan version of Italian-style carnival sweet fritters. As fritters can easily be adapted to individual tastes, changing the flavoring is always an option. Photo and notes: Mary Melfi. | 
