These little italian donuts fry up like soft little ricotta pillows, then rolled in lemon sugar and filled with the sweet roasted basalmic strawberries and luscious whipped masacrpone.
Zeppole’s are traditional Italian fritters. They are usually served during celebrations and festivals. Often times you can find them filled with sweet ricotta or custards and topped with powdered sugar. I have been making these for my family for years. They are so easy and quick to whip up that they quickly became a family favorite. Usually, I fry them and toss them in a paper bag with powdered sugar and give them a nice shake. They are usually devoured before the next batch is done frying.
When I was dreaming these donuts up, I really wanted to embrace the flavors of summer and honestly wanted to show people that even though these may sound fancy, they are very simple to make. The use of fresh seasonal ingredients will always elevate your dishes. I am a firm believer in seasonal baking, buying and supporting local farms. If you get the chance, look up local farm stands in your area and if you get the chance visit them. You might be pleasantly surprised on how much sweeter and fresher your produce is!
Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
Roasting strawberries in the oven is a great way to cook down the strawberries while still having them stay intact. I tossed them in a tiny bit of sugar, honey and balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze gives the strawberries a nice depth of flavor that pairs well with their natural sweetness giving them a slightly tangy flavor. If you don’t have balsamic glaze on hand, feel free to use a bit of lemon juice with honey. I then roasted them in a 400-degree oven, this helps to cook down the strawberries giving them a slightly sweet and caramelized flavor. The strawberries will break down while cooking but will not have a pureed finish like they do when cooked on the stove. I prefer the jammy texture of keeping them whole, but if you would like them more broken down feel free to mash them in a bowl after cooking in the oven.
Zeppole Ingredients
There is a few different ways in which you can make zeppole dough. There is a version that is more typical to a choux dough, where you cook the water, and flour on the stove and add the eggs one at a time. When they are fried, they have a texture that is similar to a churro. The version I am making is more of a batter, where everything is mixed in one bowl together, no stove required. I am using ricotta cheese as the main source of liquid. This results in a nice fluffy fritter that I would argue tastes even better than a funnel cake when fried.
Hot Oil Jacuzzi
I use a small ice cream scoop to create evenly shaped little donut balls. Then I fry them in a 375-degree little oil jacuzzi. It is pretty important to make sure your oil is up to the right temperature because if the oil is too hot your donuts will look like they fried up perfect and then be raw in the center. They should take about 3-4 minutes to cook, using a slotted heatproof spoon to keep stirring them occasionally. This ensures perfect golden brown radius.
Lemon Sugar
While zeppole’s are traditionally served with a light dusting of powdered sugar, I wanted to highlight the flavors of the roasted strawberries so I decided to make a quick lemon sugar to roll the fried zeppole’s in. All it takes is a little bit of sugar mixed with fresh lemon zest. You want to massage the zest into the sugar, doing this will release the natural oils in the zest and amplify the lemony flavor throughout the sugar.
Jammy Strawberries
This recipe makes more than enough filling for these zeppole’s. You can always cut the recipe in half if you wish, but if I am going to take the time to roast my strawberries in the oven, I personally like to have some to snack on for the rest of the week. This will hold up well in a sealed container for up to seven days in the refrigerator. You can use it on toast, to mix in your yogurt, top your ice cream, anything you would put jam in really. It is so easy and delicious, you will want to make it to have on hand all the time.
Filled Zeppole’s
To fill these little ricotta pillows, I just used a small paring knife and cut a slit right down the middle of the donut. Then I gently opened the zeppole just enough do i could get some filling inside. Try not to open them too much as they could possibly break in half. I also allowed them to cool down a bit before filling them, because if you fill them when they are still warm, the filling will most likely melt. I wanted the filling to ooze out of the top so that you could see what was inside. I also did equal parts of strawberry to mascarpone for the perfect little bite.
Zeppole’s with Roasted Balsamic Strawberries and Whipped Mascarpone
Ingredients
Zeppole’s
2 Whole Eggs
1 cup Flour
2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
Balsamic Roasted Strawberries
3 cups Strawberries (quartered)
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Balsamic Glaze
Whipped Mascarpone
1/2 cup Mascarpone
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 tbsp Vanilla
3-4 tbsp Powdered Sugar
Neutral Oil For Frying
Makes about 20 Zeppole’s
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Start by quartering the strawberries. Place then in a bowl and mix in the sugar, honey, and balsamic glaze. Add more sugar if needed. Sometimes your strawberries are not as sweet and may need more sugar. It is so important to taste as you go and adjust as needed. Place strawberries on sheet pan lightly greased with a neutral oil. I would not recommend parchment paper here as the strawberries will get nice and jammy and will have a hard time coming off of the parchment paper without making it soggy and possibly ending up in the dish. Place the strawberries in the oven for 35 minutes. There is no need to stir them while they cook, just let them do their thing in the oven, then will be perfect when they come out. Allow to cool before using. I would place in a heat proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap while cooling, this way it doesn’t get a skin on top. Allow to cool at room temperature or in the fridge until ready to use. This can be stored in an air- tight container in the fridge for up to 7-10 days.
For the whipped mascarpone you can either make in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or you can us a hand mixer with the whisk attachment either way works perfect. Place heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla into a bowl. Whisk on low speed for about 30 seconds until everything is combined and then turn your speed up to medium. Whisk for about 1 to 2 minutes until you have nice soft peaks. It is very easy to overwhip your mascarpone so keep an eye while mixing. once the mixture starts to come together you can lower the speed until you’ve reached soft peaks. Cover and place in fridge until ready to use.
Fill a nice sturdy pot with neutral oil. I like to fill mine about halfway. Place on medium heat and allow the oil to come up to 375 degrees. Use a heat proof thermometer to check the temperature of your oil. I like to start this first as it takes around 10 minutes give or take to heat up, which is the same amount of time it takes to make the batter.
To make the zeppole batter place ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk into a bowl. Whisk ingredients until nice and smooth. Then add salt, baking powder and flour into the bowl. Mix until fully incorporated. The batter should be a little thicker than a pancake batter. You should still be able to mix it with a whisk but if you feel like it is too thick you can always add a bit more milk, a little at a time because you can always add but you can never take away. Set aside until ready to fry.
Using a heat proof thermometer, take the temperature of the oil to make sure it is at 375 degrees.
Spoon the batter into the hot oil. I use a small ice cream scoop #50. It is about 1.25 tbsp. It ensures even and precise size zeppole’s every time. If you don’t have a small ice cream scoop it is fine you can use a regular spoon as this will give you a nice size zeppole. Fry about 4 to 5 at a time depending on the size of your pot. The temperature of your oil will go down the more you crowd your pan, so it is best to fry in smaller batches. Each batch should take around 3 to 4 minutes to fry, making sure you flip the zeppole’s often for a nice even golden brown color. This recipe makes about 20 zeppole’s so it should take around 4 batches. Once the zeppole is ready remove from oil and place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to soak up any residual oil. I place them on a cooling rack to prevent them from getting soggy while sitting. I like to test the first batch too make sure they are cooked evenly. I will open one up to make sure they are not raw in the center, if your oil is at the proper temperature this should not be an issue, but I still like to check and adjust as needed.
Once all of the Zeppole’s are finished frying and cooling it is time for assembly. Roll each zeppole individually into the lemon sugar. Then using a small pairing knife cut a small slit into each zeppole. I like to add both of my fillings in separate piping bags, this helps me to put an even amount of filling in each zeppole. If you do not have piping bags then a plastic baggy will work ok, I just prefer the use of piping bags here. Gently fill each individual zeppole evenly with both fillings. Place filling side up on a serving platter. Enjoy!
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