Maria's Italian Wine and Honey Cookies

Ingredients:

6-7 cups all purpose flour
2 cups Red Wine (or 1 cup wine/ 1 cup water)
2 cups Mazola Oil (has to be Mazola!)
1 32 oz jar of Grade A Honey
Rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the wine and oil to a boil, blend well, then turn off. Pour out most of the flour onto a large wooden butcher block or wooden surface. Pile it up into a large mountain and dig a large hole in the middle and start adding the hot wine mixture to it, blending it as you go along with a wooden spoon. When its cool enough, start using your hands to mix and knead it until all the flour is incorporated, keep adding enough flour and kneading it until the dough is similar to the consistency of “Playdoh”. Grab a hand full and roll with your hands to make long ropes about one inch thick. With a knife, cut into 3 inch long pieces.

On the inside of a cheese grater, reach in with a piece, push it down and roll it towards you with your three middle fingers so it gets the “nubs” on it and is rolled into a coil shape. You may need to try this several times to get the right shape.

When all are formed into cookies, fill a large pasta pot with about 3 inches of oil, put over medium/high heat. To see if it’s ready you can test the oil by throwing a little piece in to see if its sizzles and little bubbles rise up from it. Drop enough of them in to fill the bottom with room to grow around them, using a hand held strainer or slotted spoon, stir them VERY GENTLY until they’re light to medium brown usually about 7-10 minutes.

Remove them and put them onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. During this process, heat up the honey in a small sauce pan and then turn off. Take the cookies by spoonfuls and dunk them in the heated honey, give a quick stir,then tap off drips and place into a aluminum lined container or large bowl.

If you want to put them directly onto a platter, pile them up in a pyramid shape and sprinkle all over the top with the sprinkles. Wrap tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.