Preparation

• Take a large bowl and add the flour, the sugar and the pinch of salt and mix well.

  Make a well in the center and put the eggs, the melted butter, the grated zest of one lemon (untreated), and the Grand Marnier into it.

  Mix the liquid part well with a fork and gradually incorporate the flour until the liquids are completely absorbed and you have obtained a creamy dough.

  Finally add the milk and continue to blend until you obtain a dough that easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

  Form a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap suitable for food and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

• After the resting time, take the dough and divide it into 3 parts.

  You can roll the sheets either with a pasta machine (preferable) or by hand on a well-floured work surface using a rolling pin.

  You will need to obtain the thinnest sheet you can.

  To help the sheet puff up better during cooking, I recommend folding the dough over itself several times while you roll it out.

  
  If you use a pasta machine, start at setting 3-4 (medium thickness); at first it will seem thick and sticky but that is normal.

  Fold the dough again and pass it through the pasta machine two more times at the same setting (3-4).

  Then set it to setting 2 and roll the sheet, folding and lightly flouring it two more times until you obtain a very thin, smooth and even sheet.

• Cut the edges of the previously rolled sheet with a fluted pastry wheel (the kind used for ravioli) to obtain rectangles about 3-4 in long.

  As you cut them, place them on a lightly floured tray so they don’t stick together. Continue until you have used all the dough.

• If you have one you can use a deep fryer; otherwise use not a shallow pan but a small pot with high sides and enough seed oil for deep-frying.

  The cooking will be slower because you can fry only a few at a time, but the result is definitely better.

  The oil temperature for perfect frying should be 347°F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, test the oil with a small piece of dough.

  
  If the piece of dough browns immediately, the oil is too hot — let it cool away from the heat for a few minutes. If the piece sinks to the bottom, the oil is still cold and you should wait a bit longer. Only when the piece of dough rises to the surface, without darkening at the edges and forming tiny bubbles, is the oil ready and you can proceed with frying.

  Proceed to immerse a few bugie at a time in the hot oil; bubbles will immediately form on the surface in contact with the oil. Flip them after 3–4 seconds; bubbles will form on the other side too. A few more seconds until they are lightly golden, then remove them with a slotted spoon.

  As soon as you drain them, place them on a plate lined with absorbent paper and continue until all the dough is used.

  When the Bugie are cold, dust them with powdered sugar on both sides — now they are finally ready to be enjoyed!