Zeppole with Whipped Ricotta
At Tipo in Portland, Maine, Chris and Paige Gould serve this ricotta-dosed, doughnut-esque Italian dessert with a twist: tossed in a sugar mix accented with long pepper. Milder than black pepper, the spice offers warm notes of nutmeg and cinnamon—pour leftovers into your pepper mill to add a deep, toasty flavor to eggs or pasta.
Ingredients
- WHIPPED RICOTTA:
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- SUGAR MIXTURE:
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ teaspoons ground long pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ZEPPOLE:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup ricotta
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
- WHIPPED RICOTTA: Wrap ricotta in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a medium bowl and add remaining ingredients. Whip mixture with a hand mixer or whisk until light and fluffy and almost doubled in size. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- SUGAR MIXTURE: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- ZEPPOLE: Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs and ricotta in a small bowl until smooth. Fold ricotta-egg mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. (Fritters will be tough if you overwork dough.)
- Pour 3 inches of oil into a large, heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven and heat until oil reaches 350°F. Carefully lower heaping teaspoons of dough into hot oil. Leave about 1 inch on all sides of each zeppola—work in batches to avoid crowding.
- Fry zeppole until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate. Toss zeppole in sugar mixture and serve warm with dollops of whipped ricotta.
culture: the word on cheese
Culture is America's first and best magazine devoted to the love of cheese. Explore our website for stunning photos, cheesemaker profiles, recipes, wine, beer, and a community of readers always willing to help and chat.
