Rizzo’s Malabar Inn makes 3,000 of this Molise treat to give away each year for the Saint Joseph’s Feast. They begin on St. Valentine’s Day and keep working until St. Joseph’s. They freeze them and when ready, place them directly on the festive table for our guests. The word cavazoon is dialect for calzone, the Italian word for pants.

For the filling:

2, 19-ounced cans chick peas, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

For the dough:

¾ – 1 cup sugar
3 beaten eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
5 cups flour

For the filling:

Work with one can of chick peas at a time. Grind chick peas in a food processor until smooth. Place the puree in a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and stir well to be sure all of the spices are well blended.

For the dough:

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in the flour until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead for just a few minutes. Cover and set aside.

Divide the dough into four equal parts. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out on a floured surface to about a 1/8 of an inch thick. With a three inch cookie cutter, or inverted glass, make as many rounds as the dough will permit.

Place one teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle. Fold the dough over to form a half moon. Seal the seams of the dough with a fork. With a pastry wheel, go around the edge to remove just a small amount of dough. This is to ensure that the edges are sealed. Scraps of dough can be set aside to rest and re-rolled at the end. Continue until all of the pants have been made.

Place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Pour oil to the depth of about 3 inches. Fry the pants in the preheated vegetable oil for 1 to 2 minutes until just browned on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Yield: 5 dozen