Pallotte Ubriache (Sweet Drunken Bread Balls)

Method

1. Cut the crust off about 300g of stale bread (pan brioche or bread baked in a wood oven work well) and cut the crumb into large chunks.
2. Place the bread in a bowl and pour over sweet wine (such as Moscato) mixed with a little water until the bread is well soaked. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze the soaked bread to remove excess liquid.
4. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs with sugar (about 50-70g), grated zest of orange, lemon, and optionally mandarin, and a teaspoon of anise seeds.
5. Add the squeezed bread to the egg mixture and mix well. If the dough is too soft, add a little flour (type 00) until it holds together.
6. Heat seed oil to 170-180°C (340-350°F).
7. Using a spoon, scoop portions of the dough and dip the spoon in the hot oil to release the balls into the oil. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
8. Remove the fried balls and drain on paper towels.
9. Prepare a plate with a mixture of powdered sugar (or granulated sugar) and ground cinnamon.
10. Roll the hot fried balls in the cinnamon sugar to coat evenly.
11. Serve immediately.