St. Patrick’s Day came and went, and now it’s time to celebrate St. Joseph’s day. While Irish Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef, pastries are one of the most important foods to eat March 19 in honor of San Giuseppe, as the Italians call him. For those who like to celebrate with cooking, a simple recipe for how to make zeppole -- the Italian version of doughnuts -- has been provided below, courtesy of All Recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Note: This recipe should yield 35 zeppole. With a 15-minute prep time and 25-minute cook time, the entire dessert should be completed in 40 minutes.

Directions:

1.Place the oil in a deep-fryer and turn it up to 375 degrees F. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, a deep pan can be used. Just make sure to turn the burner onto medium-high heat.

2. Combine the dry ingredients (baking powder, flour, salt and sugar) into a medium saucepan on low heat. Then mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla and eggs. Stir gently until the batter is combined -- it should be sticky.

3. This is the fun part: Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter into the oil. A few can be dropped at the same time. No need to flip them, the zeppole will turn themselves. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Place them in a paper bag once they are finished and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Make sure to serve them warm!

Mangia bene, tutti!

Click here to check out some St. Joseph’s Day quotes.

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