Recipe(tried): Ceci Cookies (Cavezune)

My mother is Italian and each Christmas she makes ceci cookies, also known as Cavezune. Here is a recipe:

CECI COOKIES (CAVEZUNE)

4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
2 cups shortening for frying
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and pureed
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pureed dates or cooked down dark grapes (although my mom typically cheats and uses grape jelly, which I actually prefer)
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted shortening
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 orange (just the peel to add orange zest to filling)

1. Melt semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. Heat the 2 cups shortening in a large, heavy skillet or deep fryer.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the pureed garbanzo beans, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the dates/grapes/jelly. Grate alittle of the orange peel into the mixture to add zest. Blend with the cooled chocolate. Chill while you make the dough.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Stir in the 1/4 cup melted shortening. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and fold into the egg mixture. Add extra flour if necessary to make the dough easy to handle. You can also cheat and use Pillsbury pie crust dough.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. If you have a ravoli mold, place the dough over the mold, and then fill each cookie with about a teaspoon of the chocolate chickpea mixture, then place another layer of dough on top of that. If you do not have a mold, cut dough into 3 inch circles using a cookie cutter or a large drinking glass. Place 1 teaspoon of the chocolate filling mixture onto the center of each cookie, fold over into a half circle, and pinch to seal.

5. Fry cookies in 1 1/2 inches of hot oil, turning once. Cookies should be light brown.

Hope that helps!