Mangia Bene Pasta
Fried Italian Desserts
Cinnamon Zeppole
(makes about 30)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine water, butter, and salt in a saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until butter melts.
Bring to a boil
Add flour and stir to blend.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
When complete, dough should be glossy and smooth.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan or deep fryer.
Carefully drop mounded tablespoons of dough into the oil.
Cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Only fry a few at a time or as many as your pan will hold without crowding.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the zeppole from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
Immediately roll zeppole in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Serve warm.
Note: Frying the dough for 3-4 minutes will give you a tender zeppole.
Frying for 5 minutes will give you a crisper zeppole
Carnival Fritters
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon. salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
2 tablespoons grappa
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Confectioners sugar for dusting
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, egg, and grappa.
Add the dry ingredients and stir until the dough is tiff.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in half.
Roll out each half as thinly as possible.
With a pastry cutter, cut into 4" x 1-1/2" strips.
In a deep fryer or saucepan, heat oil to 350 degrees F.
Working in batches, add the strips to the oil and fry until puffed and golden, 1-2 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
When completely cool, dust with confectioner sugar.
Best when served immediately, but they can be stored at room temperature for a few days.
Bow Ties (Farfellette)
(Makes about 40)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, eggs, and vanilla.
On low speed, gradually add 1 cup fo flour, baking powder, and salt.
Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead in the remaining flour.
The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Add additional flour, if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough in half.
Roll out one piece of the dough to about 1/8-inch thick in a rectangular shape.
Using a pastry cutter, cut the dough into strips 4 inches long by 2 inches wide.
Cut a small slit in the center of each strip.
Take one end of the strip and pull it through the slit in the center.
This will give you a bow tie shape.
Continue rolling and shaping all the dough.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
Drop a few of the bow ties into the oil.
Only fry 4 to 5 pieces at a time so they are not crowded in the oil
Fry 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides, turning them often with a slotted spoon.
Remove the bow ties from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain.
When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.
Venetian Fritole
Makes about 48)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup grappa or rum
1 (3/4 ounce) package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees F)
Pinch of sugar
3-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup pine nuts
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Soak the raisins in the grappa.
Stir the yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and set aside.
The yeast mixture should begin to bubble and foam in 5 to 10 minutes.
Put the flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Stir in 1-1/4 cups milk.
Add the egg and mix well.
Add the yeast mixture and the remaining milk.
Continue stirring until smooth. The batter will be a very thick and slightly lumpy.
Stir in the raisins with the grappa and pine nuts.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area.
Allow the batter to rise for about 3 hours.
Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer.
Wet a tablespoon with cold water.
Scoop up the a tablespoon of the batter, and with another spoon carefully push the batter off the spoon into the hot oil.
Repeat with 4 or 5 more spoonfuls of batter. Do not crowd the fritters in the oil.
Cook the fritter until it has an even deep golden brown color, about 2 minutes, turning it once or twice during cooking.
Remove the fritters from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
While the fritters are still warm, roll them in confectioners’ sugar and place on a platter.
Fritole are best served warm.