Zeppole or mini ricotta donuts

This is an old italian recipe and a great way to use up left over ricotta. You will find lots of recipes on the web, but this one works every time.   Be warned!  they are addictive, and they attract hoards of people, particularly children.

Two ways to serve these, firstly dusted in lots of icing sugar, or secondly make a honey drizzle of 1/4 cup honey, fresh thyme (about a teaspoon) and finely grated zest of a small lemon.  Simmer the honey etc until it is fragrant and you have a thin sauce to pour over the Zeppole.

When making these, do not over mix them.  Easy does it. You can add lemon or orange zest to the recipe if you so desire, or cinnamon to the icing sugar, see how the mood takes you.

Zeppole

Rating: Easy

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup of unsifted plain flour

2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder

dash of salt

1/4 cup of castor sugar

1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese (1/2 lb)

Lemon or orange zest if you feel like it!  (not necessary)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Icing Sugar for Dusting

Method

Beat the eggs until foamy. 

Add all of your dry ingredients into the eggs in the mixing bowl while on slow speed and then add  your ricotta and vanilla right away.  

Continue to mix on a slow speed till it is all combined. 

The batter will be thick…creamy and sticky.  It is not a cookie dough consistency…it is a rich thick waffle type batter. Do not over mix.

Have need to have your oil ready in your favorite  pan up to about 2 inches high.  I use a high sided pan for safety, but you can just as easily use a fry-pan.

Your oil should be approximately 375 degrees.  

I usea teaspoon, or you can use a small melon ball scoop …first I spray it with oil so that batter doesn’t stick …then scoop up the batter and carefully drop it into the oil.

Repeat with consecutive scoops but don’t let them touch…turn them a few times for even browning and you are talking about 3 minutes…if they are a little bigger…a little longer…but once you get to that nice deep golden brown it is time to scoop them up and place them on  paper towels to drain.  

Continue making batches, and sprinkle each one with Icing sugar.

Serve straight away.