You will need a deep-fat thermometer
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Vanilla Pasta Dough:
- 1 vanilla bean
- Use own favourite pasta dough
For Apricot Coulis:
- 4 ounces dried apricots (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For Apricot-Almond Filling:
- 1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
- 4 ounces dried apricots (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 ounces pure almond paste (about 1/3 cup)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons Di Saronno Amaretto or almond extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Other:
- About 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling ravioli
Directions
- Begin by splitting vanilla beans and scraping seeds into a medium bowl. Set aside pods for later usage. Add 1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon canola oil, and ½ cup cold water. Using a hand-held electric blend at low speed until the consistency of dough is smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and leave in fridge to cool for at ½ hour.
- For apricot-almond filling, roast almonds in skillet until golden. Wait till almonds have cooled back down to room temperature and then drop them into a food processor. Pulse almonds coarse and grainy. Transfer into a small bowl and add the almond paste. Operate hand mixer at low speed while pouring in Amaretto. Add in diced apricots and then stir with a spatchula. Divide dough into 4 pieces.Roll out pasta dough to about 1/8th of an inch thickness: dough should be very thin, almost see through. Using 3 inch cookie cutter cut out rounds. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer half of dough rounds to baking sheet. Place a teaspoonful of apricot mixture on center of each round on baking sheet. Brush edges of dough rounds with water. Cover remaining rounds pressing firmly on edges to adhere.
- Heat a large kettle with 1 inch of oil. As soon as the deep-fat thermometer indicates 350°F begin frying ravioli in batches of 6, rotating once until golden brown. Move ravioli with a slotted spoon on paper towels. Then put back ravioli back into oil between batches. Sprinkle fried raviolis with confectioner’s sugar.
- The coulis: Mix together 4 oz dried apricots and ½ cup of sugar, and 1 ½ cups of water in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Let simmer for 15minutes or until apricots are softened. Pour mixture in blender then add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and blend until smooth. Strain mixture in fine sieve, squeezing for maximal yield into a bowl.
- Spoon apricot coulis onto plate, then top with crispy ravioli and garnish with mint sprigs.