Ingredients

Step by step

1. First make the dough. Place the flour in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and mix well. Slowly add up to 125ml cold water, a little at a time, until you have a smooth, silky dough.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead the butter into the dough until it is thoroughly incorporated, creating a shiny, stretchy dough. Cover and set aside to rest for about half an hour.
3. Mix the ricotta, orange zest and mixed peel together for the filling and set aside.
4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to the thickness of a 20p coin then cut out 24 rounds using a 6.5cm plain round cutter (cut around a glass if you don't have a cutter of this size). Re-roll as necessary.
5. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of filling onto the centre of 6 of the rounds. Brush the edges with a little water to help seal, then top each with another dough round and press the edges down well with your fingers before using the tines of a fork to seal the edges decoratively. As they are made, transfer to a lightly floured tray or plate. Repeat with the remaining pastry rounds and ricotta filling.
6. Fill a heavy-based wide saucepan or frying pan with olive oil – about 2.5cm deep. Heat gently to 180°C (test it using a kitchen thermometer). Add 4 of the pastries and fry until golden, 1-2 minutes, then flip over and repeat. Put on kitchen paper; keep warm while you cook the remaining pastries.
7. Put the honey in a small saucepan and heat gently until very runny. Spoon 1 teaspoon of honey over each pastry while still warm and serve immediately.