Also known as Fritelle, these are perfect for last minute Carnival/Mardi Gras/Martedi Grasso celebrations, as an alternative/addition to pancakes. If you make pancakes for breakfast, then make these for tea. Fluffy, yellow, citrus-scented balls of joy, they are instantaneous and a winner with everyone. The recipe is from Wild Figs, but I am also sharing it here because it fits in the general spirit of fatness and indulgence.
The idea is extremely straightforward; a simple batter lightened by baking powder and deep fried then dusted in sugar. The traditional flavourings are orange or lemon zest, and the saffron is a firmly Sardinian addition. The batter is essentially cake-mix consistency, and two spoons scoop it neatly into hot frying oil, in they plop, up they bob, out they come; golden and glistening. Fried cakes, small and sweet and perfumed, and wonderfully light, they stay moist for days if you keep them in an airtight container.
Makes around 10-12.
250g ricotta
2 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
Good pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 2 oranges
100g plain flour
50g potato flour (optional but helps make them extra light – can use 150g all plain flour if preferred)
A good pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1tbsp warm water, or a pinch of ground saffron (if you hate saffron leace it out, they're still delicious)
½ tsp of vanilla extract (optional and if not using lievito)
2 tsp baking powder or half a bustina of Italian lievito (usually flavoured with vanilla)
1 litre of frying oil (I use groundnut, peanut or sunflower)
Sugar, either granulated or icing, or honey if you prefer.
Whisk the eggs and ricotta until smooth. Add the sugar, salt, citrus zest, vanilla extract and the flours, baking powder/lievito and saffron and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Heat the oil in a deep pan until it swirls (it must be around 190 but not so hot that it’s smoking, otherwise it will burn the frittelle). Test it with a piece of bread if you like: the bread should bob and fry nicely, becoming brown after 30 seconds or so.
Now, using two teaspoons, scoop little blobs of the mixture into the hot oil (they should be the size of walnuts, and will swell slightly whilst cooking). Turn them over as they cook to make sure they are evenly brown on all sides.
Scoop them out onto some absorbent paper and then roll them in the sugar of your choice whilst still hot.
They are also very good drizzled with honey if you’d prefer.
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