2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon Magic baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/8 cup rum

oil for deep frying

for garnish
about 1/4 cup icing sugar

Make a dough with the flour, baking powder, butter, eggs and rum. Knead until the dough is elastic and malleable -- about 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a long cylinder.

Cut a piece of the dough and using the palms of your hands shape into a small taralli-style log -- about 2 inches long and 1/2 inches wide.

Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Heat up the oil and deep fry the favette a few at a time.

Remove when they are golden, and place on absorbent paper towels to usurp excess oil.

Before serving dust with icing sugar.

Though the Italian word, "favette," can be translated as "little beans," these particular sweet fritters look more like "fingers" than beans. In some areas of Italy (both South and North) bean-shaped almond cookies, often called "fave dei morte" are made for The Day of the Dead (November 2nd), but these almond cookies are baked, not fried. Generally speaking, sweet fritters are associated with Carnival and Christmas festivities in Italy. Comments and photo: Mary Melfi.

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