Cosa Buono

Technically, the grammar is off on this recipe title.  It translates to "good things" but with there being more than one "thing" and the "thing" being female and the adjective should not be male and singular...but my grandma lost some of her grammar as she mixed Italian and English together.

Anyway, this is a honey cookie made at Christmas.  It takes practice and ever since my grandma died, my mom and her four sisters converge in the basement of my grandma's house to try to replicate them.

Keep in mind, these are usually shared with about fifteen families, hence the huge amounts...they can be adjusted.

Cosa Buono

1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 shots whiskey (Gram preferred Southern Comfort...not sure why)
1/8 t baking powder
flour- about 3-5 lbs
dried and crushed peel of one orange
honey- probably about 64 oz

*The day before, peel the orange and set it out to dry
* Beat eggs with mixer until frothy
*add sugar and whiskey, a little at a time and mix well
* add baking powder and orange peel
* add flour, about 3-5 cups at a time and mix until the dough has absorbed as much flour as it can
* Knead by hand
* Let dough sit for fifteen minutes and then knead again on a floured surface
* Knead until dough bubbles (my aunt insists you will see this and know when it happens)
* Cut dough into pieces and roll into a thin long and then cut into pieces at an angle, about one inch long
* Place pieces on a cloth (don't let them touch) and let them sit for 1 1/2 hours
* In a large pot, fill halfway with vegetable oil
* Heat oil.  It does not need to boil, but you should hear a little sizzle when you drop in the dough.
* Cook as many as you can at one time (maybe 20 or so)
* When they are finished, the pieces will float to the top and the oil will bubble around them
* Use a ladle with holes to scoop out the fried dough and put them on sheets of paper towel to shake off extra oil
* REPEAT
* let cookies completely cool
* Heat honey in a large pot and bring to a light boil
* Put cooled cookies (again, about 20-30 at a time) in the heated in honey and make sure they are well coated
* REPEAT
* My aunt usually puts them in large foil pans.  The distribution process can get a little messy because the cookie are really sticky.

My grandma used to make little dough people and fry and coat them with honey.  When a family got a plate of cookies they would have as many dough people as there are men in the house.

I have had the honor of cutting the dough a couple times.  My mom and her sisters always give one another a hard time about cutting the pieces to big or too small.  It is a labor intensive and time consuming process but they really do have a good time doing this.  I know more than once, someone will say, "Is this how Ma used to do it?"