Inspiration....

...or possibly just pregnancy cravings. It's hard to say.

Have you ever read a book and gone, "Mmmm, that sounds yummy!" I was reading Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost Trouble Found and found myself drooling over the idea for the dough knots in sugar the mysterious character Maria makes. Not only does the character sound like she has some history, but she sounds like the kind of woman I want to be friends with.

And since I actually can boil water I decided to give Maria's tasty treats a try.

Maria's Knots
- one can of Pilsbury breadsticks unbaked (yes, this is cheating. If you have time to make dough more power to you)
- enough vegetable oil to fill the bottom 2 inches of a medium sized pot (3-4 cups)
- sugar or a sugar/cinnamon mix to roll the dough in
- 1tbspn olive oil

You'll also need one cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper for the uncooked knots and one plate or cookie sheet with paper towels to let the knots cool on.

1- Grease the foil and your hands with the olive oil. A dab will do ya, so don't overdue this. You just don't want the dough sticking.

2- Heat the oil in the pot over medium-low heat. This will take some time but you don't want the oil too hot or the knots won't cook properly.

3- Open the package of breadsticks while the oil heats, unroll, and take each potential breadstick and knot it. Loose knots cook better. Beauty is not an issue.

4- When oil is hot enough to make a drop of water pop without exploding (very scientific, I know) drop the first knot in. IT should fizz and puff but not spit and turn instantly brown. If the dough sinks, the oil isn't warm enough. If the dough crisps in under 30 seconds the oil is too hot.

5- Brown one side of the knot and flip over (30-60 seconds per side). You can fit 2-3 knots in the pot at a time depending on pot size. Looser knots will cook in ropes rather than becoming a lump of dough with a gooey center.

6- Drain the cooked knots on the papertowels until they are cool enough to touch but not cold. About 5 minutes.

7- Roll the knots in sugar and eat hot.

Enjoy your weekend!