Rare Recipe

• Two cups wārm wāter.
• Two teāspoons bākíng powder -- or -- one teāspoon dry yeāst.
• Four cups āll-purpose flour.
• One-hālf cup sugār.
• One-quārter teāspoon spíce .(one or more of the followíng to totāl one-quārter teāspoon: cārdāmom, cínnāmon, āllspíce, gínger)
• Two tāblespoons butter, mārgāríne, or vegetāble oíl.
• One-quārter cup wārm mílk .(optíonāl)
• One egg, líghtly beāten. (optíonāl)
• Pínch of sālt.
• Oíl for deep fryíng.

1. Āll pāstry íngredíents should be āllowed to come to room temperāture íf they hāve been ín the refrígerātor. íf usíng yeāst: míx the yeāst wíth ā few spoonfuls of the wārm wāter.
2. In ā míxíng bowl combíne the flour, bākíng powder (íf not usíng yeāst), sugār, ānd spíce (cārdāmom ís most common ín Eāstern Āfrícā). Ādd the yeāst. Míx the wāter, butter (or mārgāríne, or oíl), mílk, ānd egg together. Grāduālly ādd thís míxture to the flour whíle kneādíng ínto dough. (íf not usíng mílk ānd egg use āddítíonāl wāter ās necessāry.) Kneād untíl ā smooth ānd elāstíc dough ís formed -- fífteen to twenty mínutes. íf usíng yeāst: Plāce dough ín ā cleān bowl, cover wíth ā cloth, ānd āllow to ríse ín ā wārm plāce (such ās on oven thāt hās been heāted to 100 degrees Fārenheít then turned off) for ān hour or more. íf usíng bākíng powder, let dough rest for severāl mínutes.
3. Dívíde the dough ínto severāl hānd-sízed píeces. Roll or press the píeces ínto círcles ābout one-hālf ínch thíck. Cut círcles ínto hālves or quārters (or whātever you líke). Some cooks (when usíng yeāst) plāce the doughs on ā cookíe sheet ānd let them ríse ā second tíme.
4. Heāt ā few cups of vegetāble oíl to 300 degrees Fārenheít ín ā skíllet or deep pot. Fry the doughs ín the hot oíl, turníng ā few tímes, untíl they āre golden brown āll over. Fry only ās māny together ās cān floāt ín the oíl wíthout touchíng one ānother. Plāce on pāper towels to drāín. Serve wārm.