Khapse

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 60 g caster sugar
• 60 g unsalted butter, melted
• 100 ml whole milk
• 0.25 tsp fine salt
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting

Before you cook

• Beat the eggs with the caster sugar until the sugar dissolves.
• Whisk in the melted butter and the milk.
• Add the flour and salt and mix to a firm dough.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and stiff, adding a little more flour if it sticks.
• Wrap the dough and rest it for 30 minutes.
• Line two trays with kitchen paper.

Steps

1. Divide the rested dough into four pieces and keep three covered.
2. Roll one piece out to a sheet about 3 millimetres thick.
3. Cut the sheet into strips 3 centimetres wide and 12 centimetres long.
4. Cut two lengthways slits down the middle of one strip, leaving both ends joined.
5. Take the far end of the strip and push it back through the middle slit, then pull it through to form a twisted loop.
6. Set the shaped piece on a tray and shape the rest of the strips the same way.
7. Roll, cut and shape the remaining three pieces of dough.
8. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 165C.
9. Lower five or six khapse into the oil, keeping them well spaced.
10. Fry for 2 minutes, until the undersides are pale gold and the dough has puffed.
11. Turn them over and fry for another 2 minutes, until evenly golden and firm.
12. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on the lined trays.
13. Fry the rest in batches, letting the oil return to 165C each time.
14. Cool the khapse completely so they turn brittle, then dust with icing sugar and stack them on a plate.