Recipe

Ricotta Pumpkin Zeppole

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

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by Jennifer Perillo

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Italian Dessert
A&M's Testing Notes: Jennifer Perillo's zeppole are light, lovely little orbs of fried goodness. Surprisingly (to me anyway), they're also delightfully simple to prepare. I used my teaspoon-sized dough scoop...
Jennifer Perillo's zeppole are light, lovely little orbs of fried goodness. Surprisingly (to me anyway), they're also delightfully simple to prepare. I used my teaspoon-sized dough scoop and I was able to fry the whole bunch quite speedily. A couple notes: I used a very dry fresh goat cheese ricotta and this lead to a dough that was a bit drier-looking than the dough in Jennifer's pictures. They fried up nicely in spite of this, but if I were to do it again I'd double the amount of pumpkin puree, both to increase the moisture and make the zeppole more pumpkin-y. Yum! - arielleclementine

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Chef
Jennifer Perillo's Notes: This recipe was born a few years ago around Thanksgiving. I had an abundance of fresh pumpkin puree and having been all "pied" out (yes, it happens even to the best of us), I decided to play...
This recipe was born a few years ago around Thanksgiving. I had an abundance of fresh pumpkin puree and having been all "pied" out (yes, it happens even to the best of us), I decided to play around with this twist on those fried balls of dough so popular at every Italian feast I grew up going to in Brooklyn. While this is in the dessert category, you can even nix the confectioners' sugar and serve them with some savory tomato jam for a passed appetizer. And, while I'm a fan of homemade ricotta, you can use a fresh bought one and just make sure it is well-drained.

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Serves 48

1 1/2 cup flour Ask a question about this ingredient

3 tablespoons granulated sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons baking powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Ask a question about this ingredient

8 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, well-drained Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup pumpkin puree Ask a question about this ingredient

2 large eggs, lightly beaten Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient

Canola oil, for frying Ask a question about this ingredient

Confectioners' sugar, for garnishing Ask a question about this ingredient

Fill a heavy-bottomed deep saucepan halfway with canola oil. Heat the oil to 375ºF degrees.
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Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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Add the ricotta cheese, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Beat with a fork until mixed well. Pour over flour mixture and stir until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
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Drop a scant teaspoon of the mixture at a time into the heated oil. Fry until light golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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As you accumulate small piles of drained fritters, arrange them on a platter, sift powdered sugar on top and let guests start enjoying them while you continue frying the remaining dough.
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3 Comments on Ricotta Pumpkin Zeppole

yMarni added 3 months ago

Zeppole was awesome! I tried this recipe and wanted to let u know that my family enjoyed it!! :)
I have shared it in my blog as it may help my friends too!! :)