Makes 3 dozen

Pastry

• 3-3/4 cups flour (the author suggests using one part pastry flour to three parts all-purpose flour)
• One-quarter cup sugar
• One-quarter cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup white wine
• One-half cup lard

Filling

• 1 and one-half pounds ricotta, well drained with a little salt added to it
• 1 cup sugar
• One-half cup semisweet chocolate bits or grated rind of 1 lemon
• Vegetable oil for frying
• One-half cup superfine sugar, or granulated sugar ground fine
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sift together the flour, sugar, and cocoa onto a marble or wooden surface. Make a well and add the wine slowly, using just as much as it takes to make a fairly compact dough. Cut the lard into small pieces and knead it piece by piece into the dough. Knead for at least 15 minutes, working the dough out into a long strip and folding it back on itself so as to incorporate as much air as possible, until the dough is very smooth and elastic, and shiny but not greasy to the touch. Put the dough into a bowl, cover with a towel or a lid, and let it stand for an hour.

Save the ricotta. Beat in the sugar, and stir in the chocolate bits or, if you prefer something less sweet, the lemon rind.

Roll out the dough to a very thin sheet, and cut out 3-inch disks. On each disk place a scant tablespoon of ricotta. Fold the disks over into half-moons and , moistening , the edges with a little water, seal them carefully.

Fry the turnovers in adundant and very hot (about 375 degrees F.) vegetable oil, at least 3 inches deep) until they are delicately browned. Drain on absorbent paper and serve while still warm, sprinkled with ground cinnamon and granulated sugar that has been ground to a fine texture in a mortar.