Ricotta Zeppole

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the ricotta

   Set the ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl for 10 minutes and discard whatever liquid collects. Wet ricotta is the single most common reason zeppole come out heavy and greasy, so this short wait earns its keep. If your ricotta is already thick enough to hold a spoon upright, skip ahead.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together for a good fifteen seconds. You want the baking powder evenly dispersed rather than sitting in pockets, which is what causes one zeppola to puff beautifully while the next one stays flat.

3. 3

   Mix the wet ingredients

   In a second bowl, whisk the ricotta, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest until the mixture is loose and only slightly grainy. Room-temperature ricotta blends in far more willingly than cold, so if yours came straight from the fridge, give it ten minutes on the counter first.

4. 4

   Combine into a batter

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and sticky, somewhere between drop-biscuit dough and very stiff pancake batter, and it should cling to a spoon rather than pour off it. Stop mixing the moment it comes together; overworking builds gluten and gives you chewy, bready zeppole instead of tender ones. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while the oil heats.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Pour the oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches, leaving at least 3 inches of clearance at the top, and heat over medium until a thermometer reads 350°F. Temperature really is the whole game here: below about 340°F the zeppole drink oil and turn leaden, and above 365°F they brown before the centers set. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.

6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Scoop a rounded tablespoon of batter and use a second spoon to push it gently into the oil, working close to the surface so it doesn't splash. Fry 5 or 6 at a time, never crowding the pot, and turn them with a slotted spoon once or twice so they color evenly. They need 2 to 3 minutes total and should be deep golden all over and noticeably light when you lift them. Pull one apart to check the first batch: the inside should be set and spongy, not wet. Let the oil climb back to 350°F between batches.

7. 7

   Drain and dust

   Move the fried zeppole to the wire rack rather than paper towels, which trap steam and soften the crust. Let them cool for 2 or 3 minutes, then sift powdered sugar over them generously. Dust while they're still warm so the sugar grabs on, but not while they're piping hot or it will simply melt and vanish. Eat them immediately, standing over the pan, the way they're meant to be eaten.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  A thermometer clipped to the pot is worth more than any other piece of equipment here. If you don't have one, drop in a small bead of batter: it should sink briefly, surface within 2 to 3 seconds, and start bubbling steadily.

• 2.

  Keep the scoops small, about a tablespoon. Larger ones look impressive going in but often end up with a raw, pasty center by the time the outside is brown.

• 3.

  If your first zeppola browns fast and stays doughy inside, pull the pot off the heat for a minute to let the oil settle before continuing.

• 4.

  Swap the lemon zest for orange zest, or whisk a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon into the dry ingredients, for a different direction.

• 5.

  For a festival-style finish, toss the drained zeppole in cinnamon sugar while hot instead of dusting with powdered sugar.

• 6.

  Strain the cooled frying oil through a coffee filter and it's perfectly good for another round of frying.

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, at least 4 quarts
• Deep-fry or candy thermometer
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Two large mixing bowls
• Slotted spoon or spider skimmer
• Wire rack set over a sheet pan
• Tablespoon measure or small cookie scoop

Storage