Frittelli di Chanuka

To quote the author, "This was the speciality of my Aunt Argia, my father's oldest sister. During the eight days of Chanuka, Aunt Argia would get up at dawn to start making frittelle for all the extended family. Punctually at mealtime, she would knock at our door with a big plate of fragrant hot frittele."

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Combine flour, salt and anise seeds in a bowl. Gradually add the dissolved yeast and the 2 Tbsp olive oil, mixing until a rather soft dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured working surface. Knead for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Spread the raisins over the working surface and knead the dough over them until they have all been incorporated into the dough. Shape into a ball, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or till doubled in bulk.

With the palms of your hands, flatten down to about 1/2" thickness. Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut into 36 diamonds.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and fry the diamonds a few at a time, turning, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Heat the honey in a saucepan with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and boil for just 3 minutes. Arrange frittele on a serving plate and pour the hot honey over them. Yields: 3 dozen