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1
Cover the soaked, drained chickpeas with cold water by at least 5 cm. Bring to the boil, skim, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until completely tender — no resistance at the centre when pressed between the fingers. Drain thoroughly and allow to steam dry in the colander for 10 minutes.
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2
Pass the warm chickpeas through a food mill or purée them to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Add the honey, cocoa powder, sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Work together until the mixture is uniform, dense, and cohesive. Taste: the filling must be intensely sweet-spiced with a clean bitter note from the cocoa. Adjust honey or cocoa as the balance demands. The paste must hold its shape when pressed — a wet or slack filling will burst in the oil. This is where the dish lives or dies.
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3
Combine the flour, fat, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the eggs and wine and bring together into a smooth, pliable dough. It should be soft but not sticky to the touch. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
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4
Roll the dough to 3 mm on a lightly floured surface. Cut into circles of 9–10 cm diameter. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on one half of each circle, leaving a clear border. Fold the dough over to form a half-moon. Press the edges firmly together, then seal with the tines of a fork pressed along the entire join — the forchettata. The seal must show no gaps.
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5
Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep pan to 170 °C. Fry the ceppelliate in uncrowded batches, turning once, until the pastry is evenly golden on both sides. Lift out and drain on absorbent paper. The colour should be a deep, even gold — pale pastry is underdone; dark brown will taste bitter against the spiced filling.
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6
Dust the ceppelliate generously with icing sugar while still warm. The sugar should settle in a clean, dry, white layer on the surface.